Soy must be certified and sustainable

"This is a further step in aligning our economic development and production in a sustainable and resource-conserving way," explains Dr. Dirk Köckler, CEO of Agravis Raiffeisen AG. The company is committed to the responsible use of valuable resources and to a sustainable value chain in the procurement of raw materials for animal feed as part of the agricultural supply chain. Already since the beginning of January 2022, the majority of the compound feed plants, which Agravis operates partly in partnership with cooperatives, have been using only soy from sustainably certified cultivation in their own production. In addition, Agravis supports the cultivation of sustainably grown palm oil for the production of animal feed by purchasing certificates.

Last year, Agravis and its cooperative partners processed around 260,000 metric tons of soybean meal at their compound feed plants to produce animal feed. "As a feed producer, we rely on importing protein-rich feedstuffs such as soybean extraction meal. In doing so, we attach importance to sustainable and certified products and see these certifications as an important tool for greater sustainability in the countries of origin and the supply chain," describes Bernd Schmitz, Head of the Feed Division at Agravis Raiffeisen AG. In addition, the recipes of compound feeds have also changed.

For example, the proportion of soybean extraction meal in Agravis' compound feed formulations has been reduced by 40 percent over the past ten years, he adds. On the other hand, the proportion of domestic feedstuffs has increased, with, for example, 18 percent more feed grain used in compound feed and 16 percent more rapeseed extraction meal. German livestock farmers could meet a large part of their animals' feed needs themselves with grass, grain and corn. "Nevertheless, Germany currently relies on importing protein-rich feedstuffs such as soybean extraction meal," Schmitz explains further. "Soy from sustainable cultivation in Brazil is a highly efficient protein source, especially for young animals, of great global importance due to favorable climatic conditions. In the future, we expect modern seed breeding to offer soybeans that can also be grown economically in Germany. Last year, we were able to increase the use of legumes in animal feed sixfold," says Schmitz.