Amazon Soy Moratorium: Business leaders unite to preserve deforestation-free soy initiative

F&B businesses in Britain are calling on Brazil to protect the Amazon Soy Moratorium (ASM), warning that dismantling it could reverse nearly two decades of progress on deforestation. The pioneering voluntary initiative has been in place since 2006, leading significant industry efforts to tackle deforestation linked to soy production in recent years.

It’s considered a global example of how soy and other forest-risk commodities can be sourced deforestation-free. This safeguards critical carbon stocks, protects biodiversity, and supports the resilience and long-term viability of deforestation-free soy supply chains. 

As a result, soy now accounts for just 0.2% of direct deforestation, demonstrating that it is no longer a primary driver of forest loss in the Amazon biome.

But there are increasing concerns that ASM is at risk of being weakened or even collapsing amid mounting pressure from the agribusiness sector, and new legislation that threatens to dismantle its protections.

ASM in danger?

This initiative is backed by major UK F&B businesses. Signatories include Greggs, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Danone. Restaurant chains, food manufacturers, ingredients businesses, and NGOs like Greenpeace and WWF also endorse the ASM. 

The UK Soy Manifesto is a collective industry commitment to work together to ensure all physical shipments of soy to the UK are deforestation and conversion-free. Through the UK Soy Manifesto, almost 50 companies have issued a statement of support for the ASM following new state-level legislation in Brazil, including the withdrawal of tax incentives for companies adhering to the ASM.

While some view the legislative proposals as necessary to address fiscal concerns in Brazil, others believe it is a way to weaken the ASM.

In yesterday’s statement, the signatories emphasize how the ASM has an essential role in preventing soy-driven deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, and has been one of the most effective voluntary agreements in tackling deforestation by decoupling soy production from forest loss in the Amazon. Over 98% of soy cultivated in the region today isASM-compliant.

“Moreover, it is estimated that the Amazon Soy Moratorium prevented the conversion of at least 1.8 million hectares of forest in its first ten years, making a significant contribution to the preservation of native vegetation in the face of rising global demand,” says the statement.

Decoupling soy production from deforestation

Jonathan Gorman, Secretariat, UK Soy Manifesto, tells Food Ingredients First how the Moratorium is widely acknowledged as an extremely robust mechanism, partly because it is based on an agreement that includes government, civil society, and industry representatives.

 “What will be critical to safeguard its future is that we have continued private sector support across soy supply chains, from the shippers that make the purchases, to us as final consumers, and that any legislative changes in Brazil do not undermine the Moratorium or the ability to purchase under the Moratorium agreement,” he says. 

“In the statement, we refer to a recent bill passed in the state of Mato Grosso that aims to disincentivize support for the Moratorium, and other legal actions could do similar. There have always been differing views on the benefits of the Moratorium, but actions that aim to remove it or amend it have been building in the last two to three years.”

“This bill is not yet in force, but removing tax incentives for soy shippers that support the ASM could act as a disincentive for shippers to continue stipulating these controls as part of their agreements. We believe it is important, while these changes to the law are being considered, to show support from us as consumers, and also to help raise the profile of the importance of the ASM globally.” 

The manifesto involves a collaborative approach across the entire supply chain, from feed manufacturers to retailers, and includes commitments to publicly disclose progress.

If the Moratorium were to collapse, it would also harm Brazil’s international standing as a sustainable producer, just as it prepares to host COP30.

Brazil remains an important source of soy for UK consumption, though only a very small proportion of this (less than 10% of UK soy imports) is sourced from and in compliance with the requirements of the ASM. 

The UK Soy Manifesto urges all actors within the soy supply chain, including governments, financial institutions, and agribusinesses, to reinforce their commitment to the ASM and ensure its continuation.