Soy Certification and Evidence Guide

Soy Certification and Evidence Guide

A Guide to Soy Certification and Evidence

Please watch this video for a guide to the soy certification standards and evidence requested for this years reporting. Included in the video are examples of evidence claims and common issues seen with evidence claims.



Background

  1. Production of soy has long been associated with major environmental and social issues particularly in South America. For many companies, ensuring their products are certified is seen as a step to illustrate their production has not exacerbated these issues.

  2. Many retailers have specific policies requiring levels of certification or external commitments to DCF soy.

  3. As part of the collective commodity reporting process, we require suppliers to submit evidence for any soy volumes declared to be certified as well as evidence for any origin claims made.


Chain of Custody
  1. Chain of custody refers to the process by which materials, in this case soy,  and associated information are transferred, monitored, and controlled as they move through each step in a supply chain. There are three commonly recognised types of chain of custody models:
    1. Identity preserved (3rd Party Verified Supply Chain)
    2. Segregated (3rd Party Verified Supply Chain)
    3. Mass balance
  2. These vary in terms of the level and detail of knowing the source of the product and its sustainability characteristics. For example, if the soy in a product is certified to a Segregated standard this means that it is kept physically separate from uncertified soy , although the certified soy is not necessarily traced and controlled back to a single identifiable source.
  3. Whereas in a Mass Balance system, certified and uncertified soy are mixed at any stage of the supply chain, and the quantities are controlled such that the quantity of the soy sold to a certified Mass Balance standard is equivalent to the quantity of the certified soy produced.
  4. Credits: another common form of certification type, though do not link sustainable soy to a specific purchasing company's supply chain through a physical chain of custody

Certification Evidence
There are numerous types of certification standards in the soy industry which require different evidence.


  • Physical: e.g. ProTerra MB/Segregated, RTRS MB/Segregated, Organic

  • RTRS credits:

  • Other credits: e.g. CRS standard credits or regional mass balance, ADM Responsible Soybean Standard v2, Cargill Triple S.

  • Organic: certification can be used to prove that soy is deforestation- and conversion-free because most organic soy is grown in low-risk areas.



Reviewing Certification Evidence
Below is a summary of what we look for when we review evidence:


Origin Evidence

There are different forms of origin evidence. We are asking you to provide the most robust form of origin evidence that you are able to. 


Providing Evidence
Evidence is easy to upload through the Mondra platform. You can upload multiple files through using the upload box, part 2 of your submission, including both certification and origin evidence documents.

Summary
Certification and/or origin evidence are key to DCF claims. Please:
  • Make sure any documents uploaded match your submission in the following ways:
    • Date(s) purchased
    • Feed merchant / trader name
    • Stated country / region of origin
    • Scheme & chain of custody type
  • Please ensure any RTRS credit claims are attributed to your customer within the RTRS portal, and provide a screenshot to show this has been done.
  • Insufficient evidence may lead to claims being downgraded.
  • All evidence files can be uploaded to the submission form


Contact 3Keel
For support throughout this process please do engage with the resources on the Knowledge Base and reach out to us at support.3Keel@mondra.com. We are also available on 01993 764 710 extension 400.



    • Related Articles

    • Cocoa Certification and Evidence Guide

      A Guide to Cocoa Certification and Evidence Please watch this video for a guide to the cocoa certification standards and evidence requested for this years reporting. Included in the video are examples of evidence claims and common issues seen with ...

    • Coffee Certification and Evidence Guide

      A Guide to Coffee Certification and Evidence Please watch this video for a guide to the coffee certification standards and evidence requested for this years reporting. Included in the video are examples of evidence claims and common issues seen with ...

    • Palm Oil Certification and Evidence Guide

      A Guide to Palm Oil Certification and Evidence Please watch this video for a guide to the palm oil certification standards and evidence requested for this years reporting. Included in the video are examples of evidence claims and common issues seen ...

    • Soy and Feed Declaration Walkthrough

      The information you report in your declaration will vary depending on the type of products you supply and your position within your customers' supply chains. The videos below provide a step-by-step guide to completing the soy declaration form. ...

    • Soy Upload Issues/Error Message

      Soy Upload Issues/Error Message Update: 16/01/25 - Please be advised we are currently investigating an issue with uploading the soy declaration which is leaving many suppliers unable to do so successfully. We are sorry for the trouble here and are ...