Newsletter April 2023
Benchmarking results: QS add-on module and SAI FSA 3.0
Donau Soja supports its partners and members in progressing change to address social, environmental and economic challenges in soya production and consumption. As part of this support, benchmarking is an important tool to create synergies and alliances.
1. Recognition as soy primary standards within QS add-on module
In March 2023, the German QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH has published an add-on module „Purchase of deforestation-free soy“. The add-on module applies to QS-certified feed producers and traders and will become mandatory for these companies from 1 January 2024. For the sustainable production of soybeans, QS fully accepts Donau Soja / Europe Soya as primary production standards. This is why Donau Soja / Europe Soya certified companies fulfill the requirements of the add-on module already now!
Donau Soja partners can take a step ahead and start a pilot project with Donau Soja / Europe Soya from 1 April 2023.
2. Recognition by Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI)
Additionally, we are glad to announce that Donau Soja / Europe Soya Standard have been positively benchmarked against the latest version of the Farm Sustainability Assessment, FSA 3.0 by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI). The Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) enables food and drink businesses to assess, improve, and validate on-farm sustainability in their supply chains. Donau Soja / Europe Soya standards have been benchmarked as Silver Level Equivalence. This means that 100% of the essential, 84% of the intermediate and 61% of the advanced questions have been met. A great achievement! Through the alignment with the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Donau Soja partners can benefit from an industry-wide approach to driving farm sustainability.
International Non-GMO Summit
Strengthening and Securing the Non-GMO Market
9-10 May 2023 | Frankfurt, Germany
Don’t miss out on the first-ever International Non-GMO Summit, taking place in Frankfurt, Germany on 9-10th May 2023! The first International Non-GMO Summit aims to bring together producers and traders from South America and Europe to share information about the availability and production needs of Non-GMO crops. Hear from key players in the Non-GMO value chain, explore the link between Non-GMO and deforestation-free production and join experts from Brazil and Europe for their latest figures on harvests, yields and prices. The Summit will explore how Non-GMO and deforestation-free production and certification can go hand in hand – with credible sustainability certification standards.
The Non-GMO Summit is hosted and coordinated by several organisations: ARGE Gentechnik-frei, Donau Soja, ENGA, ProTerra Foundation and VLOG.
See the programme and register now: https://www.nongmosummit.com
World Soybean Research Conference 11
18-23 June, 2023 | Vienna
The WSRC 11 conference schedule is now available: https://www.wsrc11vienna.com/program/. Mr Jingyuan Xia, Director of Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) of the FAO is confirmed as keynote speaker. Each day of the conference will have a special focus topic: policy, agronomy, processing, food, feed, genetics, and biotechnology. Plan your visit and get your ticket (full-conference ticket, 2-day, or 1-day).
Link to registration: https://www.wsrc11vienna.com/registration/
Donau Soja Field Day events are coming, don’t miss out!
August – September 2023 | Romania & Serbia
We have the pleasure to invite you to participate on Donau Soja Demo Fields in 2023
New challenges in soybean production are on horizon and nature-positive choices are urgently needed to make European soybean more sustainable.
Donau Soja will establish demonstration plots in Serbia and Romania, to test and showcase best practices in sustainable soybean production that adhere to Donau Soja/Europe Soja requirements and recommendations for farmers.
In Serbia the event will be organised in Lugovo, Sombor. In Romania the event will take place in Buzias, Timis, at KC Timis Management farm, with a total area of 7,000 ha in conventional system and 300 ha in organic system.
Make sure your business is there to showcase your products and services, engage with the farmers and partners and promote sustainable solutions for European agriculture.
If you want to join at our events, please contact our responsible colleagues to send the partnership proposal and give you more details. Mirjana Lalosevic (Serbia team) and Alina Petrea (Romania) will be glad to support you with further information, please do not hesitate to contact them.
Contact person Mirjana Lalošević, Donau Soja Regional Centar Novi Sad, Ph: +381 63 1115136, Email: lalosevic@donausoja.org
Contact person Alina Petrea, Donau Soja Romania Ph:+40 763 266 301, Email: romania@donausoja.org
This was Karlsbörse
We were present at the 7th Prague “Karlsbörse”, in the Czech Republic, where we, jointly with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, organised a National Stand. We were able to facilitate meetings between Ukrainian companies and foreign partners, helping to develop the value chain for Ukrainian farmers and producers. Making connections to help build a strong supply of sustainable soy grown in Europe, for Europe and overall, boosting Europe’s food security.
This was the first in a series of National Stands for 2023. Watch this space for future events!
Donau Soja has joined Collaborative Soy Initiative (CSI) for a webinar on Soy Production and Trade in Europe
To find out more about the soy cultivation in Europe, have a look at Donau Soja monthly Market Report.
We welcome our new members:
Ensemo: brings microbes into seeds
Ensemo is developing high-throughput mechanical solutions for the incorporation of microorganisms into seeds, enabling the large-scale use of microorganisms in agriculture as biological alternatives to agrochemicals. Our patent-protected SeedJection™ technology is unique because it enables high-throughput treatment of individual seeds and thus precise and stable integration of microorganisms. At the heart of our technology is a fully automated and continuous process for singulation and fixation of the seeds, optical recognition of the embryo and processing of individual seeds (opening, injection and closing).
Soytek: The innovation increases agriculture efficiency
Soytek is a young company involved in innovation and development of premium genetics for soybean and corn at European level. As part of this innovation, we provide farmers with high yielding NON-GMO soybean genetics that are tolerant to non-selective soybean herbicide tribenuron methyl from the group of Sulfonilureea. Also, we are involved in innovating corn technology, developing and promoting High Population short corn, promoting a more sustainable cropping system and more efficient corn genetics. By joining Donau Soja, we hope to be able to promote innovation among more farmers throughout Europe.
ImPulses Online Meeting
The next Donau Soja ImPulses meeting will focus on organic soya market and production
This bi-monthly online meeting provides up-to-date market information and brings members and certified partners together. ImPulses is a platform to build new connections, to discuss burning topics of the food and feed sector and to present latest innovations. Members and partners are invited to submit their ideas and wishes for that meeting in the ImPulses survey.
The next ImPulses meeting will be on 24 April and will focus on the organic soya market and production.
For any questions, please reach out to Jasmin Karer at karer@donausoja.org
New Europe Soya crusher – AdamPolSoya (Ukraine)
We are happy to inform you, that we have a new Europe Soya Partner.
Europe Soya products are now available directly from our partner´s processing plant. AdamPolSoya (Ukraine) crushing plant has successfully passed the Europe Soya certification.
Europe Soya certificate assures for all soya products produced at AdamPolSoya:
non-GM quality
European origin
Sustainability
Traceability
conversion & deforestation-free origin
and more
Europe Soya Standard
AdamPolSoya is a modern oil extraction plant, processing non-GM soybeans of Ukrainian origin into high-quality Europe Soya certified products: Hipro and Midpro soybean meal, crude degummed soybean oil, pelletized soybean hulls and high-quality food lecithin. Owing to the newest technologies, the plant operates in a closed cycle, ensuring waste-free production and minimal impact on the environment. AdamPolSoya fully tracks the entire chain of product supplies from a field to the consumer and maintains strict quality control at all stages: farm, storage, transportation, and processing, herewith adhering to the principles of food and feed safety. AdamPolSoya guarantees stable deliveries of high-quality non-GM Europe Soya products. For this reason, the company operates a transloading center in the European Union – located in Poland, allowing it to efficiently transport products across the EU.
Złote Ziarno
Transloading Centre
Wola Żydowska 67
28-404 Kije
Gmina Kije, Powiat Pińczowski, Województwo Świętokrzyskie
www.zlote-ziarno.eu
For additional information and product specifications, please contact
Mr Nick Halliwell – International Sales Director AdamPol Soya
m. +41-78-685-8051
e. nick.halliwell@adampolsoya.com
www.adampolsoya.com
The success of the Protein Partnerships Programme
The significant volumes of Donau Soja certified soybeans after harvest 2022 are testament to the success of the Protein Partnerships Programme, which aims to boost sustainable non-GM soy production in Europe, for Europe. Protein partners invest in knowledge transfer activities and certification of farmers and primary collectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine.
Approximately 735,000 tonnes of soybeans in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, were certified by Donau Soja’s standards as sustainable, deforestation & conversion-free and Non-GMO. Giving the stamp of approval to ensure that they meet the strict compliance requirements with EU crop rotation regulation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring traceability to the very field that they were grown in – complying with the upcoming EU Deforestation-free Regulation.
To find out more about our Protein Partnerships programme, click here
Donau Soja Market Report
Forecast suggests record soya area in Europe this season
Soybean area in Europe could grow by 3-5% to a new record of 5.0 million hectares in 2023 according to our forecast for the upcoming planting season.
The main driver of expansion is likely to be Ukraine, the biggest soya producer in Europe. Soybean area in Ukraine is expected to expand by 15% to 1.73 million hectares this season, despite of the challenges posed by the war. The attractiveness of soya in Ukraine has significantly improved in the context of high energy prices (soya has a lower energy demand than alternative crops).
EU-27 soya area is likely to remain at around 1.0-1.1 million hectares in 2023, with no significant change year-on-year. In Serbia, soya area is expected to greatly fall in 2023 as the result of the extreme dry weather of the last two seasons.
You can get informed on detailed non-GM market info through our monthly market report. You might visit the following website for more info: https://www.donausoja.org/news/market-report/
Donau Soja releases a Farmers Handbook: “Soybean Production according to Donau Soja Standard” in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Farmers Handbook will be distributed to agricultural producers in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia (currently it is available only in Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian) and you can find an online version here
