The recent approval of U.S. soybeans certified by the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) as meeting the Dutch Feed Industry Association’s (NEVEDI) need for sustainable feedstuffs is a significant step forward, and should serve as a model for how the program could satisfy the same requirements under the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), according to the American Soybean Association (ASA). NEVEDI maintains sustainability standards for imported feedstuffs to be used for Dutch-manufactured feed for import throughout Europe. On Thursday, NEVEDI approved the SSAP as equivalent to its own sustainability requirements.

“NEVEDI’s announcement is a great sign of our progress in demonstrating the sustainability of U.S. soy to Europe,” said ASA President and Brownfield, Texas, farmer Wade Cowan. “Not only does the decision showcase our soybeans as a sustainable crop accepted by a major European importer, it serves as a model for how the SSAP can satisfy the EU’s sustainability requirements under the RED.”

Currently, the RED restricts imports of U.S. soy by imposing sustainability requirements based on land use and on environmental impact data from Brazil. ASA has long maintained that any policies governing the import of U.S. soy should be based on U.S. data.

The SSAP was developed by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) with support from the entire soy family, including ASA, the United Soybean Board and affiliated qualified state soybean boards, the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) and National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA).

“The SSAP continues to prove itself an invaluable tool in further opening a foreign market that is increasingly concerned with the sustainable production and supply of soybeans for oil and meal,” added Cowan. “Our partners at USSEC have relentlessly pursued this goal, and deserve a great deal of credit for this important step forward for our industry.”

Learn more about SSAP here.