Program unites Bayer and Yara for RTRS certification in Brazil

The program “Producing Right,” with participation from Bayer, Yara, Santander, and Unilever, aims to increase the responsible production of soybeans in Brazil, pushing farmers to respect the legislation and follow international standards of environmental compliance.

Farmers who participate in the program will receive full technical support in obtaining certification from the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), which recognizes that the soybeans were produced in an environmentally friendly, socially fair, and economically viable way. Obtaining this certification adds value to the crop and enables the producer to sell the grain in very demanding markets.

"The program arose from Unilever Brazil's need to supply the demand for certified soybeans. The company needed a partner with expertise and credibility to guide local farmers, so they sought us out to develop a well-structured program for soybean certification in Brazil. The next step was to gain the support of other companies that act on different fronts, from financing to technical capabilities and raw materials, to provide a full service that gives farmers a guarantee of sales as a result of the certification from Unilever Brazil,” stated Aline Locks, general manager of the Earth Alliance.

The first stage of the initiative (in 2014 and 2015) saw participation from 62 farms, with a total of 1,260 employees and 152,000 hectares of farmland, where 103,000 hectares have been planted with soybeans. To date, 38 producers have achieved the RTRS certification, totaling 186,000 hectares of certified soybeans – 36,000 more than the target proposed by the program.

Over R$2 million was committed to ensuring farmers meet regulations on environmental adequacy, covering more than two million hectares of native vegetation. Producers that planted corn in this same period used certified grain, making them part of the world's first group to use the multi-crop model. The 38 producers who sought certification will earn more than R$1 million from the certified soybeans.