Ingredient supplier ADM announced that it loaded and shipped the first vessels of verified, fully-traceable soybeans from the U.S. to Europe, as part of a pilot traceability program which meets new transparency regulations.
 
Per the EU’s new Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), certain agricultural commodities including soybeans need to be traceable back to their production areas, to show that they were not cultivated through deforestation, which can be logistically difficult with fragmented supply chains involving multiple actors.
 
ADM intends to expand its capabilities to produce soybeans which meet EUDR requirements across North America in the 2024 growing season.
 
“At ADM, our future and success depend on the farmers we work with and for, which is why we’re committed to helping support their businesses and their legacies by ensuring that global markets remain open to U.S. agricultural products,” said Matt Hopkins, ADM vice president of North America River and Export. “This program, along with our comprehensive plan to achieve 100% deforestation-free supply chains by 2025, demonstrate the value of ADM’s irreplaceable global footprint and our investments in climate-smart and regenerative agriculture.”
 
“While there are still issues, including how full compliance will be defined, measured, and enforced, to work through in advance of the EU’s deforestation regualtions, we are confident in our ability to continue to deliver to customers in Europe, said Jon Turney, ADM’s vice president of EMEA Crush. “We will continue to work with stakeholders including farmers, government, and industry across our supply chains in the U.S. and other key regions in between now and. The new regulations coming into effect on December 31.”
 
ADM’s traceable soybean program is an outgrowth of its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) certified bean program, and uses technology like FBN’s gradable digital platform, as well as ADM’s own origination and transportation capabilities to verify, trace, and segregate participating beans from farms to their final destination.
 
In the wake of the successful pilot, which delivered 2.4 million bushels (64,000 metric tons) of fully-traceable soybeans to European customers in 2023, ADM intends to broaden the program to additional North American locations in 2024, providing the opportunity for interested farmers to continue to participate in current and new global markets that generate more value and preference for their crops.