Standards and certifications ensure sustainability

Even though Switzerland is of little relevance in global soy production and trade, Swiss protagonists played an important role in the development of standards for responsible soy production. The Soy Network Switzerland today holds the function of a role model in disseminating these standards.

The current core standards in detail:

• Basler Criteria for responsible soy production. The criteria were developed in 2004 by ProForest on behalf of Coop Switzerland in collaboration with WWF Switzerland.

• Bio Suisse guidelines

• EU Organic guidelines

• ProTerra Certification Standard for social responsibility and environmental sustainability. The standards were developed Cert-ID on the basis of the Basel Criteria. Since 2019, there is also an interpretation for Europe.

• RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production und RTRS Chain of Custody Standard (Non GM Modul). The Round Table on Sustainable Soy Association (RTRS) is an association based in Zurich with an office in Buenos Aires.

• The Danube Soya Standard defines the basic principles and requirements of the Danube Soya program. The Danube Soya program has been established to promote the cultivation, processing and marketing of GM-free, origin -conrolled quality soya from the Danube Region. 

• Since October 2015 the Europe Soya Standard exists. It additionally allows the certification of soya in the whole Europe Region.

• International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) offers solutions for the implementation and certification of sustainable, deforestation-free and traceable supply chains. ISCC PLUS is a certification system for all markets and sectors not regulated by the RED or FQD, such as the food, feed or energy markets and for diverse industrial applications.