Standard Development and Standard Revision

Donau Soja , as a multi-stakeholder organisation, seeks to engage stakeholders when changes are proposed and made to our standards. Here you will find detailed information about this process and current work on standards development, as well as information on how these key documents were created.

Find out more about the standard development and decision making process: Process Description Standard Development.
Currently Donau Soja holds two standards, the Donau Soja standard and Europe Soya standard.
Below you can find out more about latest revisions and current standard development processes

Latest Revisisons

Donau Soja has started the latest revision process of the Donau Soja / Europe Soya Standard in March 2020 and concluded it in November 2021.

Why a revision

The regular revision of our standards is a commitment to continuous improvement. We are continously collecting feedback by our members and partners on how to improve the standards, additional suggestions for improvement derive for example as part of benchmarking procedures.

The revision aimed to make the criteria of the Donau Soja / Europe Soya Standard more explicit; especially the underlying requirements of the EU legislative framework in relevant areas like Good Agricultural Practices, environmental and biodiversity protection, social and labor rights. In addition the revision aimed to raise the bar and add new requirements, for example in the areas of responsible land use and biodiversity protection as well as reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, the revision also aimed for improvements on the level of assurance by further developping our risk-based inspection system.

In the course of the standard revision process Donau Soja has therefore

defined 10 Principles of Donau Soja / Europe Soya cultivation*

*Most of the criteria within the principles have already been part of the Donau Soja / Europe Soya system and are now only more explicitely mentioned. But we have also included new principles and criteria, such as the new Principle 9: Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

created a glossary

that goes along with the 10 Donau Soja / Europe Soya principles and explains all relevant terms and definitions

introduced new risk categories in its inspection system

Timeline of the Donau Soja / Europe Soya Standard Revision

For further information please contact standard@donausoja.org.