Stop buying Amazon soybeans as part of your Seed Project to preserve the environment
UBERLÂNDIA, Brazil and SEOUL, South Korea, April 5, 2023/PRNewswire/ — CJ Selecta, a Brazilian producer of soy protein concentrate (SPC) and a subsidiary of South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang, announced on April 5 that it will stop buy soybeans from the Amazon jungle starting this year. This decision comes just two years after the company declared itself “deforestation free” in 2021, achieving the goal ahead of schedule. Initially, the commitment was set for 2025, but the company managed to meet it early by gradually reducing its purchases of soybeans from the Amazon region.
The CJ Selecta Seed Project, launched to replace soybeans from the Amazon, has seen a steady increase in participation, with some 200 farmers currently engaged. The program provides seeds and financing to Brazilian farmers outside the Amazon rainforest and commits to buying their entire soybean crop.
CJ Selecta has focused on building a virtuous circle in which the soybeans acquired through the Seed Project can be reused after processing. This involves using CJ’s fermentation technology to reprocess the by-products of SPC processing into environmentally friendly special fertilizers and bioethanol. These are sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical fertilizers and gasoline used as car fuel, respectively.
The company aims to reduce its carbon emissions across all SPC production. In particular, a further reduction in carbon emissions from domestic transportation is expected by shifting its soybean purchases to Minas Gerais, where CJ Selecta is located.
CJ Selecta has committed to extending ESG management efforts beyond its own business centers to the broader value chain, including its supply chain and associated companies (Scope 3 emissions). At the end of last year, CJ Selecta began helping farmers to obtain an international certification from the RTRS (Round Table on Responsible Soy Association), a non-profit organization based in Switzerland. The RTRS certifies that soy has been produced and transported in an environmentally responsible manner. This year the volume of RTRS certified soybeans is expected to increase by 30% compared to last year, reaching 60,000 tonnes.
In addition, CJ Selecta has also created an “agrosatellite” system that monitors and prevents any intake of soybeans that do not comply with its ESG policy when purchasing regular soybeans. This system monitors farmland to detect any possible illegal activity related to soybean cultivation. The Soy Trace app also allows customers to follow the entire soybean production process, from harvest to warehouse, ensuring greater transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain.
CJ Selecta’s commitment to the environment has inspired its customers around the world to join the effort. Companies such as Unilever and Nestlé have recognized the environmental value of CJ Selecta’s no-deforestation soybean oil and have pledged their support for environmental protection activities. In fact, CJ Selecta was selected as the winner of the sustainable impact category at the Partner with Purpose Award organized by the multinational giant Unilever in the United Kingdom on March 29.
“CJ Selecta is committed to meeting the growing demand for ESG-certified products by multinationals and to align with the environmental policies of Europe, our main export market,” said Patricia Sugui, the company’s ESG manager. “We will continue to advance our ESG management initiatives to create a circular economy where markets work in a virtuous circle that promotes sustainability with environmentally friendly products.”
CJ Selecta is the world’s leading producer of SPC, based in Brazil. SPC is mainly used as an aquaculture feed ingredient and is gaining attention as a future substitute for traditional fishmeal. CJ Selecta maintains its total carbon footprint below a third of the average for Brazilian soybean processors throughout its entire value chain, from soybean cultivation to SPC production and product delivery to customers.
About CJ Selecta
CJ Selecta, a subsidiary of the South Korean global food and biotechnology company CJ CheilJedang, is a pioneer in the manufacture of soybean products for different segments since 1984. Headquartered in Uberlândia (MG), an industrial unit in Araguari (MG), an office commercial in São Paulo (SP) and several branches throughout Brazil.
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