Canada is known for its natural environment filled with vast forests, pristine rivers and lakes, and clean air. It is only natural that Canada’s soybean industry is committed to sustainable production practices that preserve our air, water, forests and soil for generations to come.
Most Canadian soybeans are grown by family-owned farms, and many of them are multi-generational, with farmers of all ages working together to enhance the sustainability of their land for future generations. Growers are stewards of the land and their surrounding environment, and work to ensure the farm family tradition can continue and remain economically viable.
That’s one of the many reasons Soy Canada supports the efforts of soybean growers, exporters and industry members throughout the soybean value chain to continually improve and work towards a common goal uniting all soybean producing regions in Canada.
A national program, Sustainable Canadian Soy provides a verified source of sustainable soybeans. The program builds on current production practices and will enhance the sustainability of Canadian farms and the soybean value chain while meeting customer needs and driving new market opportunities.
Sustainable Canadian Soy priorities
- Land use efficiency to produce the most from each unit of farmland by adopting new technologies and best management practices.
- Climate-smart farming to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gases, and sequester carbon. Soybeans also take nitrogen from the air and fix it in the soil, which means less nitrogen-based fertilizer is required for crop production.
- Soil health using conservation tillage and no-till practices, crop rotations, and cover cropping.
- Water stewardship using buffer zones, 4R Nutrient Management practices, and cover cropping to ensure water bodies are protected.
- Biodiversity and habitat enhancement that builds upon Canada’s robust legislation implemented to protect at-risk and endangered species, and promote preservation of forests, as well as grower’s implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Canada’s sustainability progress
2 Statistics Canada. Farm Management Survey, 2021.
3 Statistics Canada. Census of Agriculture, 2021.
4 Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops. Canadian Grain Producer Survey, 2017.
5 Natural Resources Canada. The State of Canada’s Forests, 2022.
Statistics Canada. Land use, Census of Agriculture historical data.
Sustainable Canadian Soy collaborations
Sustainability requires commitment and collaboration. Every link along the soy value chain contributes to the sustainability of Canadian soy including growers, exporters, plant breeders, agronomists, researchers and universities. Sustainable Canadian Soy leverages these collaborations to support growers to innovate and grow more soy with less inputs.
Sustainable Canadian Soy is expanding our collaboration model to offer the globally recognized Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), starting with the 2023 crop. It is a voluntary program for any grower, grain handler and exporter interested in meeting this market need. Founded in 2002, the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform) developed the FSA as a harmonized and flexible sustainable sourcing model for buyers to understand the sustainability performance of their supply chains based on farm-level data.
The FSA is a whole farm sustainability assessment incorporating economic and financial viability, social responsibility, and environmental protection. The FSA aligns with Sustainable Canadian Soy priorities and recognizes both Canadian federal and provincial legislation. This will allow growers to complete the FSA assessment based on their own areas of greatest need and opportunity.
For customers, the FSA will provide access to a third-party verified sustainable supply backed by a globally recognized system. It’s a system that will demonstrate how Sustainable Canadian Soy is comparable or better than other origins. Powered by FSA, the assurance process will allow users of Canadian soybeans to make sustainability claims with confidence.
Looking for more information about verified Sustainable Canadian Soy?
Contact a participating supplier
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriAssurance Program, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative.
