Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact on biodiversity and deforestation of soya cultivated globally for use in animal feed in the UK.

In 2020, the UK imported approximately 2.7 million tonnes of soybean meal equivalents directly as beans, meal, and oil.¹ This is in turn equivalent to a total of approximately 3.7 million tonnes of soybean. Of the 2.7 million tonnes of soymeal equivalents imported in 2020, the majority (2.3 million tonnes or 85%) can be attributed to use in animal feed.

The UK Government is committed to tackling forest and biodiversity loss associated with all domestic uses of soya, and as such, does not specifically assess the impact on biodiversity and deforestation of soya cultivated for use in animal feed in the UK. In 2018, the Government convened the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya for industry actors to work together towards the common goal of legal and sustainable soya. The Roundtable’s 2021 Annual Progress Report shows that 62% of the UK’s soya consumption is either covered by a certification standard, has been produced in compliance with the Amazon Soy Moratorium contract, or has been sourced from an area where there is a low risk of deforestation linked to production.

The Government recognises that voluntary commitments by businesses have not been sufficient to tackle deforestation and is committed to ensuring there is no place for illegally produced commodities on our supermarket shelves or in our supply chains. That is why we have introduced a world-leading due diligence law through the Environment Act. The law will prohibit larger businesses from using commodities produced on land occupied or used illegally and make it mandatory for businesses to conduct due diligence on their supply chains. Once operational, it will help to eradicate illegal deforestation from our supply chains.

¹ UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya: Annual Progress Report 2021

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