danube soya projectdescription april 2014

8/20/2019 Danube Soya ProjectDescription APRIL 2014

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Project Description

Verein Donau Soja

Wiesingerstraße 6/9

1010 Vienna

Tel.: +43 01/512 17 44

www.donausoja.org


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Danube Soya - Association for the Promotion of European Protein SoyaProduction

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Index

1. Project Description ............................................................................................................ 3

2.

The Danube Soya Brand .................................................................................................... 5

3. Association Objective ........................................................................................................ 6

Association Mission Statement: .......................................................................................... 6

4. Members .............................................................................................................................. 9

5. International Soya Congress........................................................................................... 10

6. Danube Soya Initiative Project Status 2014 ................................................................. 11

7. Further Projects ................................................................................................................ 12


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1. Project Description

The Danube Soya Association – improving European Soy Supply for Food and Feed

Soya – a challenge for agriculture and food production

Soya has become a central topic in European agriculture and food production: The ca. 35

million tons of Soya and soya bean meal per year provide essential protein for the feed in-

dustry; 97.5% of which are imported from overseas. In North and South America ca. 20 mil-

lion hectares are dedicated to soya bean production for European import – a total about 23

million tons of soya bean meal and 11 million tons soya beans per year.

An significant portion of the value added in the domestic

protein supply takes place outside of Europe. Our de-

pendence on soya imports thus becomes a challenge for

all of Europe. Soya importation is also highly relevant in

terms of climate protection. A study of the renowned

SERI Institute has demonstrated that Austian pork pro-

duction alone could reduce 50% of CO2 emissions by

switching from imported soya to regional soya – a total of around 1.1 million tons of CO2 per

year.

The Danube Soya Initiative – quality soya from the Danube region

The Danube Soya Initiative was established to effectively meet those challenges: organizedas an independent, international, non profit, multi stakeholder association, the platform

supports and boosts the cultivation of non GM soya in the Danube region. It provides a foun-

dation for the production of high quality, safe origin GMO-free food and feed for the Danube

region and the Western European market. This will serve as a significant contribution to the

increased independence of the European protein supply.

There is great potential here: according to estimates of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture,

soya cultivation in the Danube region can be extended to about 5 million tons by the medi-

um term (2018).

In addition to prospects for an Europeanization of the protein supply, the project opens oth-

er potentials as well: boosting the Danube region through investment in the cultivation of

quality soya and the development of the Danube as a European transportation route. In

terms of the value chain, the necessary logistical investment is furthermore interesting from

economic perspectives.

Danube Soya – main objectives of the association

In addition to promoting and strengthening regional soya bean cultivation through the in-

troduction of exacting quality criteria, the necessity of infrastructure expansion serves as the

basis for this project:


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• Promotion of GMO-free soya cultivation and processing in the Danube region forAustria and the rest of Europe – under the Danube Soya trademark

• Establishment of a reliable soya and soya meal supply and value chain through associ-ation members, a contribution to the European protein supply

•

Establishment of international breeding, research and supervision programs forGMO-free Soya seeds along the Danube and development of strategies for improvedcrop protection

In addition, Danube Soya Association has the following objectives:

• Creation of regional value, genetically unmodified production, sustainability and

traceability as essential principles for Danube Soya (for details see: criteria cata-

logue)

• Exclusive cultivation on currently available agricultural and fallow land in the Dan-

ube region with the strict exclusion of nature reserves and other protected areas

• Establishment of Danube Soya and its soybean production criteria as a recognized

trademark in Europe

• Contribution to reduction of the carbon footprint in the soya and meat produc-

tion through the promotion of European protein supply

• Systematic reporting to and integration of the public and all relevant stakehold-

ers in the industry, NGOs and politicians

• Promotion of accompanying economic and ecological research for program per-

formance evaluation


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2. The Danube Soya Brand

"Danube Soya" is an origin and quality-controlled product. Its main characteristics are its ge-

ographical origins – the Danube region (European) – and GMO-free production. The follow-

ing additional aspects also apply:

- EU regulations concerning the use of pesticides in soya production

- EU laws and international regulations regarding social and labor standards

- There will be no development of new agricultural areas at the expense of national

and international nature reserves, woods or moors

- There will be no farming on fields that have been used for farming previous to

01.01.2008

The use of valuable quality soya from the Danube region will be labeled along the entire val-

ue chain and for the consumer:

! The "Danube Soya" quality label is exclusively conferred on certified and controlled

soya and soya products, it assures the processor (oil mills, animal feed factories, ani-

mal industries and soya processors) of the product's origin and quality

! For customer recognition in labeling "Danube Soya" will be used alongside the "Ohne

Gentechnik hergestellt " (Produced without Genetic Engineering)label


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3. Association Objective

Danube Soya stands for genetic engineering-free soya of established origin produced in the

Danube region — a contribution to the European protein supply.

Danube Soya

• Assures the consumer that the product is made with GMO-free soya beans from the

Danube region

• Enables European companies to become pioneers in GMO-free and regional feed

production and supports the establishment of regional values

• Makes an important contribution to the integration of the Danube region and pro-

vides economic opportunity to the Danube countries

• Makes an important contribution to the establishment of a sustainable and GMO-free

European protein supply

• … enables enterprises to meet demands for sustainably produced food and feed

products, thereby creating a clear competitive advantage

The Danube Soya association advocates:

• A stronger emphasis on the inclusion of soya cultivation within the framework of fu-

ture EU programs (esp. the 2014 CAP reform)

• The establishment of standardized guidelines for GMO-free production and labeling

within Europe

• The establishment of standardized plant protection guidelines for the Danube area

Association Mission Statement:

Association Mission State-ment

Establishment of qualitycontrol guidelines,Best Practice and

Training

Stock exchange listing andDanube Soya

marketingInvestment in research and

development


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Standards

The Danube Soya guidelines set the minimum standards to be met for use of the Danube

Soya label. The guidelines define the origin of raw material and seeds and set standards for

the use of plant protection, GMO, traceability, supervision and sustainability (regarding LU-

LUC, social standard).

Key Aspects of Danube Soya Standards

Danube Soya countries of origin and regions are defined politically and geographically.

The following countries and regions belong to the Danube Soya map:

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany (Bavaria, Baden-

Württemberg), Hungary, Italy (Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-

Romagna, Lombardia, Piemonte, Vallée d’Aosta), Moldova, Poland (Dolnoslaskie, Opolskie,

Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Podkarpackie, Malopolske), Rumania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Swit-

zerland, Ukraine (Uschgorod, Tschernowzy, Winniza, Odessa, Lwow, Ternopol, Chmelnizkij,

Iwano-Frankovsm)

Danube Soya originates from GMO-free cultivation using GMO-free varieties from the EU -

common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plants (and likewise accepted varieties from

SUI AUT

GER 1

BIH

HUN

SLO

CZE

POL3

ITA2

ROU

SRB

CRO

SVK

UKR 4

BUL

MDA

1 Bavaria, Baden Württemberg2 Tren tino Al to Adige , Friuli Venezia G iuli a, Veneto, Emilia-Romana, Lombard ia, Piemont, Vallée d’Aoste3 Dolnoslaskie, Opolskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Podkarpa ckie, Malopolske4 Uschgorod, Tschernowzy, Winniza, Odessa, Lwow, Ternopol, Chmelnizk ij, Iwano-Frankovsm


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non-EU countries). Farmers that produce Danube Soya are not permitted to grow other GMO

plants. Feed certificated with the "Danube Soya" quality label can be used for feeding ani-

mals whose products can thereafter be marked with the "Produced without Genetic Engi-

neering" label.

Production, control, and labeling requirements by "ARGE Gentechnik-frei" serve as the basisGMO-free quality labeling. The underlying legal prescriptions for GMO-free production arethus Austrian legal regulations for GMO-free production. Products that meet German regula-tions for "Ohne Gentechnik " may be labeled as "Danube Soya" if their production has beenoverseen by an independent inspection body.In the case of alterations to Austrian legal regulations regarding GMO-free production Dan-ube Soya Association reserves the right to impose more serious prescriptions accordingly.

Note on Agricultural Exchanges

The association advocates for transparent pricing and thus for a listing on the Vienna stock

exchange.

Research Program

A research program for the develop-

ment of GMO-free soya varieties and

suitable plant protection will be es-

tablished in order to sustainably as-

sure a lasting supply of GMO-free

soya seeds and plant protection.


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4. Members

The members of the association (128 members as of February 2014) serve as important rep-

resentatives of the agricultural value-added chain of feed production and their numbers con-

tinue to grow.


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5. International Soya Congress

On the 5th and 6th of September 2012 the "Danube Soya –Sustainable and GMO-free Soya for Europe" international soya

symposium was held at the Vienna Agricultural Exchange.

This event was co-organized by the Austrian Soya Association and

the Danube Soya Association and with ARGE Gentechnik-frei, the

state of Lower Austria, the state of Upper Austria, the state of

Burgenland, the state of Bavaria and the University of Natural

Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna.

The soya symposium was organized under the auspices of Austri-

an Federal Minister of Agriculture Mr. Berlakovich, Minister of

Health Mr. Stöger and European Commissioner of Regional Poli-

cy Mr. Hahn.

The conference had two main topics: Prospects for a European protein supply, and the use of

Danube soya in the feed industry. Duirng the same time an international workshop for soya

bean breeding in the Danube region was held in cooperation with the University of Natural

Resources and Life Science. 293 visitors from 18 countries visited the symposium. The sign-

ing of the Danube Soya Declaration was the successful conclusion of these events and offers

a timetable for the coming years.

The 2nd "Danube Soya and the European Protein Debate" international soya congress

took place on November 25-26, 2013 at the Kongress am Park, Augsburg.

Organizers of the congress were the Danube Soya Association and the Bavarian State Minis-

try of Food, Agriculture and Forestry. Co-

organizers were the Austrian Soya Association,

the ARGE Gentechnik-frei, the Verband Le-

bensmittel ohne Gentechnikfreiheit (VLOG),

ViaDonau, Bioland, Naturland and Demeter, LfL

Bavaria, Abrange Brazil, Swiss Soynetwork, Bio

Austria, Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, Insti-

tute of Field and Vegetable Crops of Novi Sad,

Serbia, and the Agricultural Academy of Roma-

nia and Magyar Szoja.

380 international agricultural sector represent-

atives from 28 countries discussed the following topics: 1. European soya production: oppor-

tunities, challenges and the impact of CAP; 2. Who’s going to pay for all of that? Danube Soya

as a building block for great brands; 3. Europe's protein supply, regional and international

perspectives; 4. Improving genetic diversity and the Danube Soya research project: breeders

workshop. With 10 political spokespeople in attendance the congress was also supported bypolitically. Furthermore, Bulgaria signed the Danube Soya Declaration.


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6. Danube Soya Initiative Project Status 2014

The certification of Danube Soya beans, Danube Soya prod-

ucts and Danube Soya food began using beans from the

2013 GMO-free harvest in November 2013. The Danube

Soya quality system has now been established and is in use

by farmers, agricultural traders, primary processors, com-

pound feed plants and trademark users from several coun-

tries in the Danube region.

As of March 2014, 5 inspection bodies have been registered

for the certification of Danube Soya soya ((ABG/agroVet,

CERT-ID, SGS und SLK - Salzburger Landwirtschaftliche

Kontrolle, ProCert). 5 primary processors in Austria, 1 prima-ry processor in Bosnia Herzegovina and 1 primary processor

in Hungary are certified.

18 compound feed plants have been certified for the pro-

duction of Danube Soya compound feed. Since November 2013 80% of Austria’s laying hen

farms have converted to Danube Soya. A large portion of Austrian egg production is thus

labeled with the Danube Soya quality label. The labeling of eggs produced by COOP in Swit-

zerland began in the first quarter of 2014, as did additional projects in Germany and Switzer-

land. Great Britain also exhibits great interest: Quantities of Danube Soya were delivered to

Waitrose, a high-quality food chain, at the end of 2013. Approximately 70,000 tons of Dan-

ube Soya products will be certified from the 2013 harvest.

Harvest 2014 Preview

The flurry of the emergent labeling project has led

small, middle and larger sized agricultural traders, silo

operators and primary processors to become engaged

with the establishment of supply chains in the Danube

region. The focus countries for production are Slovakia,

the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia,

Slovenia and Romania. Contact has also been estab-lished with Moldavia and the Ukraine.

Seed production organizations are highly engaged in

the Danube Soya Association and are working on increasing the production of larger

amounts of GMO-free quality soya seeds.

As a result of these developments the association expects a certified amount of approx.

150,000 – 200,000 tons from the 2014 harvest.

Last year 20 international information and training events took place in the CEE region. The

quality program is already active in the above-mentioned countries. The association is inclose contact with its stakeholders (governments, scientific research institutions, companies

in the described value added chain) in the above-mentioned regions.


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7. Further Projects

Danube Soya Best Practice – Farmer Training Program

The main goal of the Danube Soya Association is to elevate the production of soya in Europe

– especially in the Danube region. The growth markets are, as in many other cultivars, the

Eastern and the South-Eastern European countries. In these areas there is plenty of potential

land (barrens) ready to be used, and output can be measurably increased by improved man-

agement and/or improved operating resources and technologies.

Realization of this output potential hinges on a number of requirements that must first be

met. In addition to the provision of operating resources and ensured buying of the harvest,

sustainable high-level training and training programs are also necessary. Targeted programs

are necessary to provide farmers with knowledge for production (best practice) of various

governmental institutions and research facilities.

Central to this is the implementation of work teams and demonstration fields with practical

field trials.

The goal of Danube Soya is to build a functional training networks in structurally weak coun-

tries and to work alongside companies, farmers and governmental institutions (research fa-

cilities, representation of interests,etc.)to improve competitiveness.

Multiple steps are necessary to reach these goals.

The first step was realized in the development of a

practical Danube Soya Manual (production manual). This

manual, which was developed together with experts

from the target countries, is will to serve as the founda-

tion for training. The manual is available in four differ-

ent languages (Srb, BuH, RO, HR) and every manual is

adapted to the variant production conditions.

Step two will be the opening of the competence center

in Novi Sad. The following steps will be coordinated out of this office. The opening of thisoffice is projected to be at the end of Q2 2014. The strategic location at the center of the

European soya production is intended to facilitate support of the Eastern and South-Eastern

European countries.


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The third step will be the establishment of a European demonstration network. Six such

demonstration fields (2.4 ha, see pic. 1) are planned for 2014. These pilot fields will be in-

stalled, Großenzersdorf (AT), Novi Sad (Srb), Turda (RO), Fetesti (RO), Banja Luka (BuH) and

Lenart (SLO) in order to gain experience in the implementation of demonstration fields and

the follow-up farmer training and field days.

Step four will be the process of finding a powerful team for the Center of Excellence in Novi

Sad, which will offer extensive service and training during the 2015 year harvest.

The demonstration fields include multiple practical field trials. Different breeds will be test-

ed on approx. 1.4 hectares, as will different herbicide strategies, varying sowing densities will

be tested for their yield, ideal sowing time will be evaluated, as well as sowing techniques.

Research Activities

Since the founding of the Danube Soya Association in 2012 an expert group culled from the

field of soya breeding has been working on the improvement of research conditions and ad-

ditional joint research projects are planned.

One example of this is the 2014 full validation trial “Megaenvironmental field trial.”

Picture 1: Demonstration field


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Megaenvironmental Field Trial

During 2014 the full validation trial - Megaenvironmental Field Trial is working on the im-

provement/standardization of the maturity group assessment of varying soya breeds.

The trial includes 75 breeds that are being planted according to a scientific schema on 31

locations in the Danube region. The results are expected to help define Megaenvironments,

which will facilitate the classification of new breeds according to maturity groups.

danube soya projectdescription april 2014

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