Description:
As result of a debate on a government letter about sustainability of the international soy supply chain, the Dutch Lower Chamber adopted a resolution in which the Chamber requests the government for a survey of opportunities and risks of soybean production in developing countries and to provides insights into the possibilities and bottlenecks for sustainable soy production in these countries.
Research objectives:
The purpose of this research is to take stock of opportunities and risks of soy production in developing countries.
Results and products:
This study investigates opportunities for and implications of expanding soybean production in developing countries. Increasing soybean production is expected to take place mainly in Latin America. However the international community is increasingly concerned about managing the natural resources in this region.
Within the Round Table of Responsible Soy (RTRS) an international dialogue has started to secure that current soybean production and its future expansion is carried out within a sustainable framework. Within the context of this RTRS the study evaluates the compliance of current soybean production in Latin American countries to the sustainability aspects based on the Brazilian case.
The research shows that soybean cultivation is embedded in a complex land use system that hampers quick fixes to evolve towards more sustainable production, but also inherit interesting opportunities for the development of integrated soy-based production systems. |
