Open Letter: Growing Opposition to Round Table on Responsible Soy

The undersigned organisations reject the “responsible” label for soy developed by the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). The attempts by the Round Table on Responsible Soy to greenwash large scale genetically modified (GM) soy production by labelling it as “responsible” will aggravate the problems caused by industrial soy production, instead of providing solutions.  The RTRS is expected to launch its “responsible” label after its conference in June 2010 in Brazil. Industrial soy production has caused rampant social and environmental damage in South America, including habitat destruction, deforestation, destruction of local food production systems, degraded soil fertility, exposure of local people to toxic pesticides and the large scale displacement of local communities and small farming systems.  In the North, large scale soy production has facilitated unprecedented industrialisation of the food chain, increasing reliance on imported animal feed and promoting unsustainable animal production with negative consequences for farming, the environment and people’s health, and encouraging unsustainable consumption patterns. Intensive meat, dairy and egg production is an important contributor to global greenhouses gas emissions , while agrofuels from soy could produce more emissions than fossil fuels.  Multinational companies reap huge financial rewards from this unsustainable production system at both ends. The RTRS cannot succeed in its stated aims to deliver “responsible” soy because: 1.RTRS lacks support and is not representative. The RTRS claims to be an “international multi-stakeholder initiative”  , but in reality the scheme has little or no support from sustainable family farmers, social movements or civil society, either in South America or in Europe. On the contrary the scheme faces strong criticism from these organizations especially in soy producing countries. Furthermore, major players in the Brazilian soy industry – APROSOJA and ABIOVE  - have turned their backs on the RTRS due to disagreements on the inclusion of even the very weak deforestation clause (see 2). 2.RTRS criteria are seriously flawed. The RTRS claims to be developing a “responsible” label for mainstream soy, but is based on a wholly inadequate set of principles and criteria. For example: • GMOs and pesticides The RTRS will certify genetically modified (GM) soy as responsible. Most soy in South America is genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicide Glyphosate (marketed by Monsanto as RoundupReady soy). Both GM and non-GM soy are based on monocultures, both have destructive impacts on biodiversity and local communities and both use a range of agrochemicals, but herbicide-resistant soy has higher negative biosafety impacts than non-GM soy, particularly for soil life and fertility.  While GM soy is promoted to farmers as a way to reduce labour costs, the continuous and indiscriminate application of herbicides resulting from the use of herbicide-resistant crops has severe impacts on the livelihoods and health of communities living around the soy fields. It has also accelerated the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds, which are a serious problem across thousands of hectares of soy in the US, Argentina and Brazil. This is also forcing a return to using more dangerous pesticides such as 2,4-D (a component of Agent Orange).  • Deforestation and soy expansion The RTRS criteria for “responsible” soy agreed in May 2009 do not prevent further deforestation. According to the RTRS, “responsible” soy can be grown on land that has been deforested as recently as May 2009. “Responsible” soy can even be grown on land that will be deforested in the future, as long as the producer can provide “scientific evidence” that there were no primary forest, or High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs), on that land and that it did not affect “local peoples’ land” (which is not further defined). It is not clear how these flawed criteria will be monitored and enforced.  3.RTRS cannot address macro-level impacts of industrial farming. Importantly, the RTRS cannot address the deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and social conflicts caused by displacing agricultural activities elsewhere (Indirect Land Use Change). Other impacts include rising food prices and huge pressures on land and resources. 4.RTRS claims climate benefits. RTRS “responsible” soy claims to have climate benefits, but would largely supply feed for unsustainable intensive poultry, livestock and agrofuel production. The perverse lobbying at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen of the RTRS along with biotech giant Monsanto to gain carbon credits for industrial soy production gained them the international Angry Mermaid Award for worst climate lobbying.  In the EU, the RTRS is trying to gain accreditation under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) that contains the widely opposed 10% agrofuel target.  Some of the pilot projects of the RTRS involve small scale farming of soy, but this cannot mask the fact that the bulk of the RTRS’s “responsible” soy will be grown on large-scale plantations with heavy pesticide use and no consideration for the local people or the environment. Consumers are currently prevented from seeing the extent of the damage done by industrial (RoundupReady) soy as it happens far from their homes. European supermarkets use the RTRS to claim they are acting responsibly while carrying on with business as usual. Any supermarket that participates in the RTRS risks a backlash from its customers.   To address the impacts outlined above the undersigned organisations demand real solutions that move to a sustainable food production system that include: • phasing out monoculture production systems and instead promoting agro-ecological systems,    diversification of production and stimulation of local production for local markets that contribute to    food security and food sovereignty in producer and consumer countries. • promoting genuine land reforms and land rights in producing countries, which will address highly    inequitable land ownership and concentration;  • drastically changing production models and consumption patterns required to feed a population of 9    billion in 2050 sustainably and equitably ; this means reducing the shocking levels of    overconsumption and waste in the industrialised world • abandoning intensive meat, dairy and egg production systems and moving towards low-input livestock systems • eliminating Europe’s dependency on plant protein imports and support a move towards more low input, grass based livestock systems. • stopping the promotion of agrofuel production as a climate solution for rich countries and instead developing better transport systems that reduce demand for energy and fuel. Signatories: International networks: European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) Friends of the Earth International Global Forest Coalition IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) Movimiento Mundial por los Bosques Tropicales/ World Rainforest Movement Red por una América Latina Libre de Transgénicos Organisations: 11.11.11, Flemish federation of North-South organisations, Belgium African Biodiversity Network (ABN) African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa AFRICANDO Ongd, Gran Canaria Afrika-Europa netwerk, Netherlands Alianza Cívica Chiapas, Mexico All Nepal Peasants' Federation (ANPFa) AMAP, Alianza Mexicana por la Autodeterminacion de los Pueblos, Mexico Amazon Watch, United States Amigos de la Tierra Argentina Amigos de la Tierra España - Friends of the Earth Spain APROMAC – Associação de Proteção ao Meio Ambiente, Brasil Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft, Via Campesina Germany Asamblea de vecinos autoconvocados de Ciudad Evita (AVACE), Argentina ASEED Europe ASK (Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien / Swiss Working Group on Colombia) Asociación ANDES, Alejandro Argumedo, Peru Asociación Civil Desarrollo Territorial Monteros, de Monteros -Tucumán –Argentina Asociación Civil GLEDUCAR, Argentina Asociación de Defensa de la Vida ADEVI, Peru Asociación de Solidaridad con Colombia, KATÍO, Spain Asociación Ecológica Madremonte, Colombia Asociación Entrepueblos, Estado Español Asociacion Pachamama Ayacucho, Peru Association Bio Consom'acteurs, France Association of Latvian Organic Agriculture, Latvia Associations 21, Belgium Attac AgrarNetz, Germany Attac España Attac Poland AVES France, A Voice for Endangered Species BASE Investigaciones Sociales, Asunción - Paraguay Basler Appell gegen Gentechnologie, Switzerland BI "Kein Strom aus Palmöl!", Germany BioForum Vlaanderen vzw, Belgium Biofuelwatch, UK Biowatch South Africa BIZILUR-Asociación para la cooperación y el desarrollo de los pueblos, Euskal Herria (Basque country) BUND, Friends of the Earth Germany Campaign for Real Farming, UK Campaña Semillas de Identidad, Colombia Campaña Sin maiz no hay pais, México Canadians for Action on Climate Change Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, Canada CAPOMA-DDHH (Centro de Acción Popular Olga Márquez de Aredez en defensa de los Derechos Humanos), Ledesma-Jujuy-Argentina Carbon Trade Watch CATAPA, Comité Académico Técnico de Asesoramiento a Problemas Ambientales, Belgium Cátedra Libre de Soberanía Alimentaria - Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina CDM Watch Centre for Sustainable Development and Environment (CENESTA), Iran Centro de Estudios Históricos Arturo Jauretche, Argentina Centro de studios sobre Tecnologías Apropiadas de Argentina (CETAAR) CNCD, Centre National de Coopération au Développement, Belgium CESTA, Friends of the Earth El Salvador COAG, España COECOCEIBA - Amigos de la Tierra Costa Rica Colectiu Transgènics Fora!, Catalunya Combat Monsanto, France COMISIÓN MULTISECTORIAL DE URUGUAY Comissão da Marcha Mundial das Mulheres de Sergipe, Brazil Comite Oscar Romero Madrid, Spain Comité pour l'Annulation de la Dette du Tiers-Monde, France (CADTM), France Concerned Citizens against Climate Change (4C), Netherlands CONAMURI, Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Rurales e Indigenas, Paraguay Conselho Municipal dos Direitos da Mulher de Lins (SP), Brazil Consumidores por el desarrollo, Peru Confédération Paysanne, France Coordinador Nacional Agrario de Colombia (CAN) Corporate Europe Observatory Cristianos Sin Fronteras, Peru Development Fund, Norway Dialogo Convencion Climatica, Mexico Don't Waste Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA Ecologistas en Acción, Spain Ecological Society of the Philippines Econexus Ecoportal.net, Argentina Ecos the Saladillo, Argentina ECOQUILPUÉ, Región de Valparaíso, Chile Ecumenical Office for Peace and Justice, Germany EdPAC -Educación para la Acción Crítica, España ENLACE, Comunicación y Capacitación, A.C., México EQUIVITA, Comitato Scientifico Antivivisezionista, Italy Eurolatina, Belgique European GMO-free Citizens, the Netherlands FASE - Solidarity and Educação, Brazil FDCL - Centro de Investigación y Documentación Chile-América Latina, Germany FECBE, Federación de ecuatorianos en Bélgica, Belgium Federación de Prosumidores Agroecológicos AGROSOLIDARIA BOYACÁ, Colombia Federación Nacional de Trabajadores del Agua Potable del Peru – FENTAP Fédération Inter-Environnement Wallonie, Belgium Federation of Organic Food Enterprices / Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW), Germany Fédération Unie de Groupements d'éleveurs et d'agriculteurs (FUGEA), Via Campesina Belgique FERN FOCO (Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos), Argentina Focus on the Global South Fondazione Diritti Genetici, Italy Food and Water Europe (FWE) Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, USA Fórum Carajás, Brazil FIAN Germany FIAN Netherlands Friends of the Earth Cyprus Friends of the Earth France (Amis de la Terre) Friends of the Earth Vlaanderen, Belgium Friends of the Earth Brussels, Belgium Fundacja Pomaranczowa Alternatywa/ Orange Alternative Foundation, Poland GAIA, Portugal Gene Ethics, Australia Gen-ethisches Netzwerk/ Gen-ethical Network, Germany GeneWatch, UK GLOBAL 2000 - Friends of the Earth Austria GM Free Australia GM Free Cymru, Wales GM-free Ireland Network GM Freeze, UK GM Watch, UK Green Health Watch Magazine, UK Grupo de Investigación en Derechos Humanos y Sostenibilidad, Cátedra UNESCO – UPC, Cataluña Grupo de Mujeres de San Cristobal de las Casas, A.C, Chiapas, Mexico Grupo de Reflexion Rural, Argentina Grupo Semillas, Colombia Grupo Thunhupha, Bolivia Guatemala Solidarität Österreich (Solidarity with Guatemala of Austria) Hegoa Instituto de Estudios sobre Desarrollo y Cooperación Internacional, País Vasco Ibase - Brazilian Institute of Economic and Social Analyses ICEPH - Instituto Cordillerano de Estudios y Promoción Humana, Río Negro, Argentina ICPPC - International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside, Poland Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA), Vienna, Austria India FDI Watch Iniciativa contra los Agronegocios - America Latina – Nicaragua, El Salvador Iniciativa Radial, Argentina Initiative Colibri, Germany Institute for Responsible Technology, Fairfield, USA Institute for Sustainable Development, Ethiopia Institute of Science in Society, Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, UK Interessengemeinschaft für gentechnikfreie Saatgutarbeit (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) JKPP (Jaringan Kerja Pemetaan Partisipatif / Community Mapping Network), West Java, Indonesia Kenya Debt Relief Network (KENDREN) Knoll Farms, California, USA Kooperation Brasilien, Germany Labour, Health and Human Rights Development Centre, Nigeria Loophole Community Centre, Melbourne, Australia MADGE Australia Inc Madras del Pueblo del Sureste, AC, Chiapas, México Mandala Gardening Initiative, Ottawa, Canada Mangrove Action Project, USA Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres, Brazil Marcha Mundial das Mulheres de Caxias do Sul, Brazil Marea Creciente Mexico Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA MASIPAG (Farmer-Scientist Partnership for Development), Philippines MAIZ (Movimiento Agrario Indigena Zapatista), Mexico Mesa Amplia por el cierre definitivo del incinerador de residuos tóxicos, Argentina Movimiento Campesino Paraguayo (MCP), Via Campesina Paraguay Movimiento de Mujeres Indígenas Tz'ununija'/REMTE, Guatemala Mouvement d’Action Paysanne (MAP), Florenville, France MPI - Movimento Pró-Informação para a Cidadania e Ambiente, Portugal Munlochy Vigil, Scotland National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Sri Lanka National Toxics Network - Working globally for a toxic-free future, Australia Naturland Association for Organic Agriculture, Germany Neal's Yard Remedies, UK New York Climate Action Group, USA NOAH, Friends of the Earth Denmark NOUSUD, Cooperación internacional y desarrollo local, Mallorca, Islas Baleares ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria Oficina de Justicia, Paz e Integridad de la Creación, San Columbano, Chile Oikos – Organic Norway, movement of organic producers and consumers Organic Consumers Association, USA Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH), Honduras Osservatorio informativo independente sulla Americhe, Italy Otros Mundos AC - Amigos de la Tierra México Our Common Future, UK Oxfam-Solidariteit/Oxfam-Solidarité, Belgium Perkumpulan Elang, Riau, Indonesia Pesticide Action Network North America Philippine Network on Climate Change PLANT (Partners for the Land & Agricultural Needs of Traditional Peoples), USA Platform Aarde Boer Consument, Netherlands Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas de Madrid, España Polska Zielona Siec,  (Polish Green Network), Poland Pro REGENWALD, Germany Proyecto Cultura y Solidaridad, España QUERCUS - A.N.C.N., Portugal RAPAL, Red de acción en plaguicidas de America Latina RAPAL para Meso América y Caribe Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad A.C, Costa Rica Red de Semillas, España Red Jubileo Sur Mexico Red Latinoamericana de Mujeres Transformando la Economía (REMTE) Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC) Reforest the Earth, UK RETS -Respuestas a las Empresas Transnacionales, Spain Rettet den Regenwald, Germany Robin Wood, Germany Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment  (SAFE), USA Save our Seeds, Germany Scarborough Against Genetic Engineering, England Service d'Information et de Formation sur l'Amérique latine et les Caraïbes (SEDIF), Belgique Spire (Norwegian Development Funds Youth), Norway Salva la Selva, Spain Say No to GMOs, Texas, USA Secretaría Regional Latinoamericana (Rel-UITA), Uruguay Seeds Action Network (SAN), Germany Semillas de Vida, México Share The World's Resources, UK SOBREVIVENCIA, Amigos de la Tierra Paraguay Society for Threatened Peoples-International (GfbV-International) Soil Association, UK Solidarity Sweden-Latin America (Latinamerikagrupperna), Sweden SOS FAIM Belgique South Australia Genetic Food Information Network (SAGFIN), Australia Soy Alliance, UK Sunray Harvesters, India Taller Ecologista, Argentina Tierra del Sol, Organisation des immigrants equatoriens en Belgique Timberwatch Coalition, South Africa The Grail, KwaZulu Natal South Africa Toxicsoy.org Toxisphera, Associação de Saúde Ambiental, Brazil Transnational Institute (TNI) UCIZONI, Union de Comunidades Indigenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo, Mexico Union paysanne, Québec (Canada) Uniterre, Via Campesina Switzerland Urban Permaculture Co-Operative, Melbourne, Australia Vecinxs Autoconvocadxs, Córdoba, Argentina Vereniging voor Ecologisch Leven en Tuinieren, Velt, Belgium Voedselteams vzw, Belgium Vóór de Verandering, Netherlands Vredeseilanden, Belgium War on Want, UK Washington Biotechnology Action Council, USA WECF - Women in Europe for a Common Future Wervel, Belgium Wholesome Food Association Limited, UK World Family, UK World Development Movement (WDM), UK Xarxa de Consum Solidario, Barcelona, España Xarxa de l'Observatori del Deute en la Globalització (ODG-Debtwatch), Catalonia, Spain X minus Y Solidarity Fund, the Netherlands Young Green Women, Sierra Leone 1. See also “Thirteen Reasons Why the Roundtable On Responsible Soy Will Not Provide Responsible or Sustainable Soya Bean Production”, GM Freeze, May 2010 2.  See among many sources; “Killing Fields: the battle to feed Europe’s factory farms”, Friends of the Earth Europe, October 2009 (documentary and briefing); “Soy and Agribusiness Expansion in Northwest Argentina - Legalized deforestation and community resistance”, Chaya et.al, 2009 3. Livestocks long shadow, FAO, 2006 4.  “Soy production and certification: the case of Argentinean soy-based biodiesel”, Tomei, Semino et al, 2010; “Once-hidden EU report reveals damage from biodiesel”, Reuters, 21 April 2010 5.  www.responsiblesoy.org 6.  ABIOVE recently launched its own certification scheme ‘Soja Plus’. WWF and other organisations involved in the Soy Moratorium in Brazil responded by saying they had not been involved in Soja Plus, and criticised it for ‘not including zero-deforestation’ and that it does not ‘involve different sectors of society in the definition of its concepts’. The same, however, is true for the RTRS. 7.  Gordon B, 2007 Manganese Nutrition of Glyphosate Resistant and Conventional Soybeans. Better Crops Vol Number 4, April 2007; Kremer and Means, “Glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant crop interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms”, European Journal of Agronomy (31, 2009) 8.  “Who benefits from GM crops?” Friends of the Earth International, Februray 2008; "Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years", Charles Benbrook, November 2009 9.  Thirteen reasons why the RTRS will not produce Responsible or Sustainable Soya Production, GM Freeze, May 2010, http://www.gmfreeze.org/uploads/13_reasons_rtrs_final.pdf 10.  www.angrymermaid.org 11.  A special RTRS working group was formed to this aim, see www.responsiblesoy.org 12.  Research has shown that with reduced consumption of meat in rich countries, the world can be fed on sustainable livestock farming including necessary increases in protein intake in the developing world http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/eating_planet_briefing.pdf