'Green' soy scam warning

Friends of the Earth International

PUBLIC WARNED OVER 'GREEN' SOY SCAM

New standards for growing soy will destroy forests, livelihoods and the climate

CAMPINAS (BRAZIL), BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), 27 May 2009 -- A new initiative to re-brand the intensive and damaging farming of soy as 'responsible' is nothing short of green-wash and will con the public, said Friends of the Earth International today.

The warning comes as the so-called Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) meets on 28 May in Campinas, Brazil to agree new voluntary standards on the cultivation of soy. Even environmentally-damaging genetically modified soy will be called 'responsible'. [1]

Over half of the world's soy is grown in South America and Europe is the largest importer. Nearly all soy is used as cheap animal feed but soy oil is increasingly being used as a biofuel.

Its well-documented expansion in recent years has led to widespread
deforestation, social conflicts, high pesticide use and huge releases of
greenhouse gases. [See notes below for key soy facts]

Adrian Bebb from Friends of the Earth Europe said:

"This scheme is nothing short of green-wash and should be abandoned. The standards they are developing will legitimise a devastating system of soy cultivation that is wiping out forests and destroying small farmer livelihoods for the benefit of a handful of very big landowners and multinational corporations. The only responsible soy is less soy."

"We need to tackle the real problems behind this damaging system such as over-consumption in industrialised countries and the inequitable distribution of resources like land and water. We urgently need real solutions that protect the environment and communities and promote food sovereignty over the interests of big business".

Friends of the Earth International claims that the RTRS is a green con because:

- it will fail to stop the expansion of soy plantations which is causing severe damage to communities, biodiversity and the climate. In doing so it promotes the interests of agri-business corporations who are expanding soy plantations and legitimizes their damaging industrial practices. [2]

- it will not stop deforestation - soy grown on former forest and other unique ecosystems like savannah's, even if destroyed very recently, could be certified as 'responsible' thus contributing to, rather than halting, deforestation.

- genetically modified (GM) soy can be certified, even though there is clear evidence of how pesticide use increases with GM soy crops, and of damage to communities' health from spraying these chemicals.

- small scale farmers, indigenous groups and civil society are largely excluded from the RTRS process and many oppose it.

- consumers will be fooled into thinking food and fuel produced using 'responsible' soy is helping the environment without realizing that the opposite is true, and that it is encouraging the expansion of GM crops in South America

- it is already being implicated in the attempted weakening of national laws on agrochemical use in Paraguay. RTRS criteria require compliance with national laws, but a new bill, introduced by allies of soy producers and other agribusiness companies, would weaken existing legislation making it easier to comply with [3].

To address climate change, global loss of biodiversity, human rights abuses, and to deal with the food price crisis, Friends of the Earth International is calling for:

- reduced dependence on soy as an animal feed and a halt to the use of crops to produce biofuels

- increased political and financial support for greener forms of farming as recognized by the recently adopted UN International Agriculture Assessment [4]

- less and better meat consumption in industrialized countries which is good for the environment and for public health

- the scrapping of all biofuel targets that are contributing to the expansion of agriculture, wildlife loss and higher food prices.

- sustainable and equitable farming policies that enable all regions and countries to feed themselves and their livestock and not be over-dependent on imports.

Over 80 organisations from around the world have signed up to a letter of critical opposition to the RTRS proposal. [5]