Axfood supports sustainable soy production
Axfood has now bought its first soy certificates. This is one step on the path to using sustainably produced soy. By 2015, 100% of the soy used in the production of Axfood’s private label products will be either certified or compensated through the purchase of soy certificates.
In the first step, the soy will not come from certified plantations, but for every tonne of soy, a certain sum will be paid to soybean growers who are currently changing over their production. This is being conducted within the framework of the RTRS (Round Table on Responsible Soy) organization.
Global soy production has grown tenfold in the last 50 years. Unfortunately, in many areas the expansion of soybean farming has come at a cost to the environment. Moreover, large-scale soybean farming often involves the extensive use of pesticides.
The growers who now receive money from Axfood for their changeover are located in Brazil, Argentina and India.
“The goal, of course, is to use only sustainably produced soy, but by taking this first step and supporting growers via RTRS certificates, we are helping first to increase the production of certified soy,” says Kristina Areskog Bjurling, Head of Product Sustainability at Axfood.
Axfood’s sustainability programme prescribes that the Group will begin to use certified soy or soy certificates for at least 50% of production of its private label products by 2014 and for 100% by 2015. The payment Axfood has now made towards changing over production entails that the goal for 2014 has now been achieved.
Purchases of soy certificates are a part of Axfood’s sustainability work.
For further information on the RTRS system, visit:
http://www.responsiblesoy.org/?lang=en
For information on some of the projects that Axfood supports, visit:
India: http://www.responsiblesoy.org/productores/vrutti/?lang=en
Brazil: http://www.responsiblesoy.org/productores/fapcen/?lang=en
For further information, please contact:
Kristina Areskog Bjurling, Head of Product Sustainability, Axfood, tel. +46-70-2897779
Åsa Domeij, Head of Environment and Social Responsibility, Axfood, tel. +46-73-077 43 07
Ingmar Kroon, Director Press Relations, Axfood, tel. +46-702-89 89 83