In 2015, approximately one new member joined our international network each week. Today, Danube Soya represents 210 companies, organizations, and institutions. More than 60% are small and medium sized companies, about 20 percent are large companies, and a further 20 percent are NGOs, institutions and associations. The association has members in 17 countries and is becoming more and more geographically diverse every month.
In the past 4 years we have realized that our vision of a 100% certified, sustainable soya, free of deforestation and land-use change, can become a reality by 2025 if we all make it happen - together. The commitment of 210 member organizations plus the 15 countries that signed the Danube Soya declaration will make it possible to supply up to 50% of Europe's soya demand directly from European countries. From 2015 on, all Non-GM soya produced by Danube Soya certified companies can be certified as Europe Soya – in addition to Danube Soya for Soya from the Danube Region. All Danube Soya is automatically also Europe Soya (but not the other way round of course). Large producers such as ADM, Glencore, and Cargill joined Danube Soya and announced the production of Danube and Europe Soya in 2016. These companies' move to begin processing European soya is good news for farmers growing GMO-free soya beans sustainably throughout the Danube Region, as there is a wider choice of buyers in addition to the established small, medium and large soya processors. Livestock owners from central Europe will have a much better opportunity to reliably secure European and GMO-free soya now. These advances are meaningful, because Danube Soya makes sure European Soya is grown sustainably, in crop rotation, in the traditional Non-GM way, without deforestation, and respecting social and environmental rules. Also from 2016 on Danube and Europe Soya farmers will not use chemical siccation, in fact banning glyphosate use in field production.
In the past couple of months we have increased our activities in the Ukraine as well as in Moldova. Our new colleagues, Ms. Lyashenko is helping to establish Danube Soya in Moldova and Inna Ilienko is heading our office in Kyiv.
As a large part of the European soya demand is still imported from Overseas, Danube Soya works closely with other certified and non-deforestation standards. It is our goal that all of European soya is certified, sustainable and deforestation free at the earliest possible date. Danube Soya and ProTerra share a close cooperation, with both organizations being represented in each others board and presidium. 2016 will be a year of closer cooperation and synergies.
Our previous events have helped to increase the publicity of Danube Soya and helped members and partners to network and establish new projects. In October 2015 our B2B event and workshop in Ulm presented new strategies for a European protein supply. This three-day event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry for Rural Development and Consumer Protection within the framework of the 4th annual Danube Strategy. In the same month we also offered our members a chance to visit a meat producing company in Austria. In November we organized a “soya information trip” to Shanghai and Taiwan where we maintain close relations with our members and partners.
The Danube Soya market report, sent to our members free of charge twice a year, informs members about supply, demand, and prices for non-GM soya in Europe and the world. If you want to receive the market report as a non-member, please contact us at office@donausoja.org and you can purchase the report for 50 Euros.
We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming events. If you would like to register please send an email to Ursula Bittner (bittner@donausoja.org)
We also kindly invite you to “like” and follow us on Facebook, where you will find regular updates on soya news!
Best regards,
Your Danube Soya team
Upcoming Danube Soya Events
In January we will present Danube Soya at the Marchfelder Agrar Tag at Orth Castle in Lower Austria. The association will also take part in the 7th CASEE conference in Timisoara, Romania. The date and location of the next Danube Soya Congress will be announced soon. You can read more about our upcoming events here.
Certified Partners and Products
95 traders and collectors, 15 primary processors, 25 compound feed plants, and 25 marketers are currently Danube Soya certified, and about 30 additional partners are in the process of becoming certified. The Danube Soya Quality Management IT System now enables Danube Soya and inspection bodies to manage Danube Soya cerfitication more efficiently. More information can be found here.
Danube Soya Guidelines
New Danube Soya check points and checklists will be released in early 2016. We are also happy to announce that our Europe Soya Guidelines was published in October 2015. These guidelines use the same core principles, requirements, and control system as the Danube Soya guidelines. For more information click here or follow this link.
Progress Report GIZ
In late 2014 GIZ and Danube Soya started the implementation of the 3-year project “GMO-free Quality Soya from the Danube Region” in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can find and update and more information here.
ADM Straubing Produces Danube Soya
The processing plant Straubing, the Germany location of one of the world's largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, ADM, is investing in order to process Danube Soya certified soybeans at its rapeseed crushing facility. This development will ensure an increase in the supply of high quality soya meal from the Danube Region. Please read more here.
Report on Organic Protein Availability and Demand in Europe
This report summarizes a study assessing feed availability and demand throughout the ICOPP project countries of Europe, coordinated by John E. Hermansen from the Department of Agroecology and Environment at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. You can read about the report here.
Migros: “Quality Soya from Italy”
Micarna, a sub company of Migros, only uses certified Danube Soya from Italy for their poultry brand Optigal Micarna. Cereal Docks provides more than 20,000 tons of soymeal for Micarna each year. Read more about the Micarnas project here.
Danube Soya as a Best Practice Example of Integration in the Danube Region
The Austrian daily newspaper, Wiener Zeitung published a booklet on integration in the Danube Region. This supplement included an article by Danube Soya as a best practice example. Follow this link for more information.
Press
You can find our clipping report and our press release here.
