At Soy Connext 2026 in Chicago, global agricultural leaders converged around a clear reality: sustainability has officially shifted from a secondary corporate goal into a primary driver of the global soy trade.
Across two panel discussions, experts from soybean crushing, aquaculture feed production, the European feed industry and consumer packaged goods (CPG) demonstrated how environmental accountability is transforming the value chain.
While regulations like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) command headlines, practical market demand, verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data and consumer trust signals are what actively drive daily commercial decisions.
Key sustainability takeaways from the panels
- ✅ Market demand drives sourcing: Customer expectations for verified, deforestation-free soy are eclipsing government mandates as the main commercial catalyst.
- ✅ Carbon footprint as a core metric: Low carbon intensity is a decisive competitive advantage. Per panelists noting Global Feed Lifecycle Institute (GFLI) data, US soybeans carry a carbon footprint seven times lower than South American soy.
- ✅ Reputable data eliminates greenwashing: Sourcing managers require trustworthy LCAs. Credible tools like GFLI and the US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) support supplier trust.
- ✅ Consumer-facing labels accelerate growth: Adoption of the Sustainable US Soy labels builds customer demand and drives sales across global markets.
- ✅ Sustainability is a baseline expectation: Environmental performance is no longer secondary. Supply chain resilience requires farmers, feed manufacturers and consumer brands to share costs and reward sustainable agriculture.
Sourcing: Low-carbon advantages and data harmonization
In the supply chain, carbon footprint values and land-use dictate procurement strategies. Dr Soon-Bin Neoh, Managing Director of Malaysia-based Soon Soon Group, an integrated grain, oilseed, feed and oil processing business, detailed how buyer expectations prioritize low-carbon raw materials.
Sourcing roughly 80% of its soybeans from the US, Soon Soon’s crushing and feed-milling operations rely on verified environmental profiles to satisfy major multinational clients like Nestlé Purina.
Dr Neoh noted that replacing high-emission pet food inputs like beef meal with US soybean meal significantly reduces Scope 3 emissions while lowering raw material costs.
“This is not an option; it’s a necessity for future business,” Dr Neoh stressed, noting that while potential EUDR non-compliance fines (up to 4% of global turnover) demand attention, direct customer demand dictates daily purchasing.
For buyers, evaluating these claims requires standardized environmental data. Eduardo Coronas Trinler, Technical Director at BioMar Ecuador, an aquaculture feed producer sourcing 100% US soybean meal for its 400,000-ton annual output, emphasized that unstandardized supplier reports often hide critical variables like land-use change. Reputable tools like GFLI allow buyers to compare raw materials fairly without auditing delays.
“We’re the only feed mill in Ecuador sourcing 100% US soybean meal, and this is driven by sustainability,” said Mr Trinler.
“We’ve taken operational and strategic decisions based on the sustainability profile of the raw materials.”
Representing European feed manufacturers, Claus Saabye Erichsen, Secretary General, the Danish Grain, Feed and Seed Association, and Vice President of the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC), addressed the policy environment.
He highlighted the tension between widely adopted industry solutions, such as FEFAC’s Soy Sourcing Guidelines, and rigid government mandates like the EUDR. While voluntary guidelines take a holistic view covering conversion-free land use, greenhouse gas emissions and good agricultural practices, top-down regulations often impose narrow criteria that can disrupt trade flows.
The Sustainable US Soy label and consumer trust
While procurement relies on LCA data to manage risk and compliance, consumer brands are leveraging these sustainability metrics directly on store shelves.
In a companion panel, executive leaders from Mexico, Sri Lanka and South Korea shared how adopting the Sustainable U.S. Soy label bridges the gap between farm-level practices and consumer trust.
Driving sales and value in Asia
In South Korea, where consumer scrutiny around ESG compliance is exceptionally high, Na Young Kim, Purchasing Manager at Yonsei University Dairy, reported that pairing innovative packaging with the Sustainable US Soy label yielded dramatic results, with peak monthly sales rising 2.5 times post-labeling.
Ms Kim noted that Korean Gen Z buyers actively research corporate environmental records and boycott bad actors. Using SSAP-verified soy allowed Yonsei University Dairy to communicate both high nutritional value and low carbon footprint, turning sustainability into a key risk-management and marketing asset.
Ethical messaging in poultry
Dilshan Wewita, Managing Director of Pussalla Meat Products, an integrated poultry producer in Sri Lanka, emphasized that the sustainability of feed ingredients matters.
His company integrates renewable energy, antibiotic-free production and ISO standards alongside sustainable feed sourcing.
Mr Wewita observed that consumers, particularly younger buyers, increasingly evaluate packaging claims and ethical practices. Even when meat products do not carry a direct soy logo, demonstrating verified sourcing strengthens brand equity and consumer confidence.
Brand stewardship in Latin America
In Mexico, Leonel González Ávalos, Procurement Manager at Ragasa, one of Mexico’s leading oilseed processing and edible oils companies, explained how placing the label on flagship retail brands like Nutrioli signals long-term stewardship for people and the planet.
Mr Ávalos noted that while certification requests originally stemmed from multinational B2B clients, regional consumer awareness is rising.
He highlighted the operational simplicity of the SSAP process, including the ability to receive transfer certificates directly within the USSES.org platform.
He advised peer companies to start moving toward more sustainable business practices rather than waiting for regulatory mandates.
“I would say that if you are buying soy from the US, implementing sustainability is really effortless,” said Mr Ávalos.
“The protocol that the US has done is amazing. To a person like me, in purchasing, you basically just need to purchase from a [US] supplier. They will deliver a certificate, and those certificates can be transferred electronically. And you don’t necessarily need to have the request from your customers. You can just move ahead and start.”
The unified path ahead
Across both panel discussions, industry leaders agreed that sustainability expectations over the next five years will consolidate into a strict ‘license to operate’.
Navigating this evolving landscape requires a synchronized, three-part strategy:
- ✅ Universal data standardization: Broad adoption of GFLI and SSAP frameworks to provide audited, transparent carbon footprint and land-use metrics from farm to feed mill.
- ✅ Value-chain cost alignment: Collaborating with major value chain partners to better market sustainable procurement, ensuring that the financial returns of responsible production flow back to feed producers and farmers.
- ✅ Transparent consumer engagement: Utilizing verified trust labels, like the Sustainable US Soy and Fed with Sustainable US Soy labels, to translate complex environmental achievements into clear, value-driven messages on consumer packaging.
