Finnish retailer Kesko has urged its suppliers to start using RTRS or ProTerra-certified soy in the production of private label brands.
Kesko is a founding member of the Finnish soy-commitment group Soijasitoumus, (founded in February 2016) and as such, has agreed that all the soy used in its private label products must be sourced from certified growers, by 2020.
The commitment covers food and feedstocks produced in Finland and imported, in acknowledgement of the serious impact on the natural and socio-economical environment that the increasing cultivation of the legume can have.
Its cultivation has been linked to deforestation and erosion, to an increase in CO2 emissions and loss of biodiversity, and to causing social problems, such as disputes over ownership of land or fair pay.
Only six percent of soy is produced directly for human consumption, and is often used as an ingredient in many processed foods. As part of animal feedstocks, it indirectly contributes to many meat and dairy products as well.
The RTRS, the Round Table on Responsible Soy - which Kesko joined in 2016 - is a platform committed to sustainable agriculture that has defined the standards for the responsible production of the legume, both on a socio-economic and environmental level.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. Click subscribe to sign-up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
