Sustainable Canadian Soy Verification Program

The Sustainable Canadian Soy Verification Program is Canada’s commitment to producing and providing verified sustainable soybeans.

The Sustainable Canadian Soy Program is a national initiative that verifies the production of soybeans according to a set of rigorous sustainability criteria. This voluntary program was developed by Soy Canada and encourages Canadian soybean growers, grain handlers, and exporters to implement best practices across their operations, encompassing economic viability, social responsibility, and environmental protection.

Verification is a guiding principle of the program. Canadian soybean suppliers participating in the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program work with growers to implement the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) a globally-accepted standard for sustainable agriculture.

Contact a participating supplier.

Verified Sustainable Canadian Soy by the numbers

1000+

producers verifying sustainable practices

30,000+

acres

Exporters

Verification And Assurance

From program development through to verification, Canada’s soybean industry has invested in the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program. This investment to serve customers seeking sustainability verification is what sets the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program apart.

Assurance for the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program is powered by the Farm Sustainability Assessment verification process carried out by accredited, third-party auditors. Once verified, letters of attestation are issued that allow suppliers and buyers of Canadian soybeans to make sustainability claims with confidence.

What is the FSA and how does it support the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program?

The FSA is a comprehensive system and set of tools that provides a globally accepted framework to evaluate, improve, and validate sustainability practices at the farm-level.

• The FSA is a global program that is applicable to all cultivated crops anywhere in the world.

• The FSA provides credible third-party verification of sustainability claims.

• The FSA emphasizes ongoing improvement through Continuous Improvement Plans supporting farmers’ efforts to set improvement goals and take ownership of their sustainability journey.

• The FSA emphasizes collaboration and farmer engagement and is used by more than 200,000, on over 100 crops in over 40 countries. This farmer-centric approach ensures the FSA addresses real-world farming challenges and fosters widespread adoption.

• The FSA is widely adopted by leading food and beverage companies and serves as a basis for meeting their sustainable sourcing goals for commodities, such as soy and soy derived ingredients.

Participating farmers are constantly striving for 100% and are making continuous improvements to their farms.

The proof is in the metrics

97%

prevent or minimize air and waterborne

97%

use a system on their farm.

99%

prevent or minimize

96%

take measures to prevent or minimize

94%

manage boundaries and watercourses with limited and timely intervention.

Soil erosion happens when valuable top soil is carried away by air and water. Farmers use tools like cover crops, reduced tillage and managed drainage to keep their soil in the field.

Farmers will rotate which crops they plant in a field every year. Each crops gives and takes different nutrients from the soil. By rotating the crops, farmers are improving their soil health and reducing their reliance on synthetic fertilizers

Soil compaction can negatively affect soil health. Farmers reduce their passes over the field with heavy tractors to maintain soil health

Farmers use tools like tile drains and ditches to ensure rain flows evenly through the soil without causing erosion or ponding

Field margins, boundries and watercourses are home to diverse plants and wildlife. Farmers work hard to minimize impact of farming on these valuable ecosystems

HOW DOES CANADA'S SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM COMPARE?

The Sustainable Canadian Soy Program leverages the Farm Sustainability Assessments’ credibility and global recognition for verification. Verification audits are required every three years with annual reporting and continuous improvement activities required.

The grower verification audit has two parts:

1. audit of the Farm Sustainability Assessment Management System

2. on-farm audit

Advantages of the verification audits:

• Third-party audits of implementation ensure claims associated with Sustainable Canadian Soy are accurate and reliable.

• Provides transparency and allows the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program to implement clear guidelines and measurable criteria for sustainable practices.

• Directly supports the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program’s objectives of providing verified sustainable soy to customers.

The Farm Sustainability Assessment verification process demonstrates how the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program is comparable or better than other origins. Canadian soy will meet or exceed the performance level of soy sourced from other similar sustainability programs around the world including:

• The Roundtable on Responsible Soy

• International Sustainability and Carbon Certification

• U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol

The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol program has been benchmarked as equivalent to Farm Sustainability Assessment gold, a level most participating growers in the Sustainable Canadian Soy program meet or exceed.

Sustainability Canadian Soy Verification Program

Sustainability • • •

Sustainable Canadian Soy Verification Program

Verification And Assurance

HOW DOES CANADA'S SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM COMPARE?

Get In Touch