A cargo ship that brought deforestation-free soybeans from Brazil docked at the port of Tianjin, China, after a month of travel, on May 31. This is the first order that China has placed for deforestation-free soy.

The order was signed by China's largest food trader, COFCO and Chinese dairy giant Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy (Group) at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) last year.

After processing in Tianjin, this batch of soybeans, certified to the COFCO International Standard for Responsible Agriculture and confirmed to be free from deforestation or destruction of vegetation from the original farms, will be supplied to a subsidiary of Mengniu Dairy, China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd.

Currently, COFCO International has achieved full traceability of direct soybean acquisition in Brazil. The company also plans to establish a deforestation-free soy supply chain in the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado grasslands and Gran Chaco regions of Latin America by 2025.

(Source: Diário do Povo, on June 3)