Measuring and Verifying Soy Sustainability in Today’s Animal Feed Supply Chain

Sustainability has become a central consideration in global agricultural supply chains. Buyers, processors, feed manufacturers, food companies and retailers are increasingly being asked to demonstrate how the products they source comply with environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations. As sustainability reporting requirements expand and customer inquiries become more detailed, access to credible, verifiable information is more important than ever.

Third-Party Verification Through SSAP

The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) provides that foundation. The SSAP defines, documents and verifies sustainable soy production.¹ The protocol is built upon environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic sustainability principles, all supported by U.S. regulations, conservation programs and third-party auditing processes. The program provides buyers with confidence that the soy they purchase comes from a system that adheres to a recognized sustainability standard.

The protocol aggregates the sustainability contributions of U.S. soybean farmers into a consistent, verifiable framework. This allows international customers to communicate sustainability performance with greater confidence.

The growing adoption of SSAP demonstrates its value across the supply chain.² Recent reporting shows that 71% of all U.S. Soy exports are now shipped with an SSAP certificate,² helping customers verify their sustainable sourcing and communicate their sourcing to downstream stakeholders. Additionally, companies around the world are increasingly using SSAP-supported sustainability claims on products and packaging.

71% of U.S. Soy exports are reported to be shipped with an SSAP certificate.

Understanding Carbon Footprint Performance

When land-use change is included, U.S. soybean production has been shown to have a lower carbon footprint than major competing soy origins.^3,4 This distinction is increasingly important as buyers face growing pressure to respond to customer inquiries on greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainability reporting with credible, science-based data.

Carbon footprint analysis considers the full lifecycle of soy production.³ Factors include seed production, fertilizer manufacturing, crop protection products, on-farm fuel use, transportation, processing and other supply chain activities. Importantly, this analysis also accounts for land use change (LUC), which can strongly influence the overall environmental impact of agricultural commodities.^3,5

Land use change is one of the most important differentiators when comparing soy-producing regions. Greenhouse gas emissions can increase substantially when forests, grasslands or other natural ecosystems are converted to cropland. Data from Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk’s Agrifootprint Database (AFP) shows that U.S. soybean production has very little land use change. In recent decade, the cropland has declined while forest land has decreased.

To help customers understand these conditions, U.S. Soy offers downloadable carbon footprint resources, including:

• Examining U.S. Soy’s Carbon Footprint³
• Examining U.S. Soy’s Carbon Footprint – Europe⁴
• U.S. Crop Production Preserves Forestland and Grasslands⁵

These resources explain carbon footprint methodology, the role of land-use change and market-specific data that buyers can use in sustainability communications and reporting.

Shipment-Level Insights Through GFLI Data

Many organizations are moving beyond industry-average emissions factors and seeking shipment-specific data to support Scope 3 greenhouse gas reporting, carbon accounting and sustainability disclosures. Through carbon footprint values on SSAP-verified certificates, buyers can access shipment-level greenhouse gas information linked directly to their U.S. Soy purchases, providing more precise data for reporting and customer communications.⁶

To address this need, U.S. Soy has expanded the information available through SSAP certificates by including carbon footprint values derived from the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database.⁶

• Enhanced Scope 3 emissions reporting capabilities.
• Improved transparency throughout the supply chain.
• More accurate sustainability disclosures.
• Greater confidence when responding to customer requests for environmental data.
• Consistent carbon accounting methodologies aligned with internationally recognized lifecycle assessment practices.

The Sustainable U.S. Soy GFLI Carbon Footprint Analysis resource provides additional information about how these values are calculated and how they can be used to support sustainability reporting efforts.⁶

Sustainability Documentation That Supports Customer Requirements

Sustainability data creates the most value when it can be used to substantiate claims, satisfy customer requests and communicate performance with confidence. U.S. Soy provides buyers with the verification, documentation and evidence needed to support sustainability claims across sourcing, reporting and stakeholder communications.

SSAP certificates serve as one of the primary tools available to buyers. These certificates verify that the purchased soy originates from the sustainable U.S. production system defined by the protocol. Certificates can also include associated carbon footprint information, providing both sustainability verification and environmental impact data on a single certificate.^1,6

Additional supporting materials—including annual SSAP reports, sustainability fact sheets, carbon footprint resources, and educational materials²—provide buyers with ready-to-use information that can strengthen sustainability communications with customers and stakeholders.

Communicating Sustainable Sourcing With the U.S. Soy Label

In addition to documentation and certificates, companies can leverage the Sustainable U.S. Soy label on qualifying products to communicate their sourcing commitments directly to customers. Available to eligible companies using SSAP-verified U.S. Soy, the label provides a recognizable way to highlight verified sustainable sourcing on packaging and in marketing materials. By linking product claims to the underlying SSAP verification framework, the Sustainable U.S. Soy label helps reinforce credibility while making sustainability information easier for customers and other stakeholders to recognize and understand.

Building Confidence Through Measurement and Verification

As sustainability scrutiny increases, buyers need more than commitments and aspirations—they need evidence. They need to be able to demonstrate that sourcing decisions are supported by credible sustainability verification, respond confidently to customer and stakeholder requests and substantiate environmental claims with reliable data.

U.S. Soy provides a thorough framework to support those needs. Through the SSAP, buyers gain access to third-party verified sustainability assurances. Through carbon footprint resources and GFLI data, they can better understand and communicate environmental impacts. Through certificates and supporting documentation, they can demonstrate responsible sourcing practices throughout the supply chain. Together, these elements help reduce sourcing risk compared to many other origins by improving transparency and consistency of verified sustainability data.

To learn more about the tools, data and documentation available to support sustainable sourcing conversations, visit USSEC.org.

Sources and References

1. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Sustainable U.S. Soy SSAP Overview (2025). View document.
2. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Sustainable U.S. Soy SSAP Annual Report, MY25. View annual report.
3. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Examining U.S. Soy’s Carbon Footprint (2025). View PDF.
4. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Examining U.S. Soy’s Carbon Footprint – Europe (2025). View PDF.
5. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). U.S. Crop Production Preserves Forestland and Grasslands (2025). View PDF.
6. U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Sustainable U.S. Soy GFLI Carbon Footprint Analysis (2025). View PDF.