UK Soy Manifiesto

The UK Soy Manifesto is a collective industry commitment to ensure that all physical shipments of soy imported into the UK are free from deforestation and conversion. Signatories commit to implementing these standards immediately where possible, and no later than 2025, using a cut-off date of January 2020 for deforestation and conversion.

• The Manifesto establishes a goal for all physical soy shipments to the UK to be deforestation and conversion free, with a cut-off date of January 2020 at the latest. This goal is to be fully implemented as soon as possible, with a final deadline of 2025.
• Signatories must adhere to five primary commitments: setting a conversion-free commitment with a January 2020 cut-off date, requesting that direct suppliers adopt the same commitment, integrating these requirements into commercial contracts, disclosing progress publicly at least annually, and supporting a harmonised monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system.
• The UK Government supports the Manifesto's objectives and is establishing a new due diligence obligation through the Environment Bill to help meet global climate ambitions and protect landscapes.
• The Manifesto aims to create a mass market movement by raising the baseline for the entire UK industry rather than focusing on individual supply chains. It aligns with similar initiatives such as the French Soy Manifesto and the European National Soy Initiatives (ENSI) group to strengthen collective market signals.
• A monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system is being developed by a working group including the Stockholm Environment Institute, WWF-UK, 3Keel, and Efeca. A concept note for this system was scheduled for November 2021, with a planned launch in early 2022.
• The document identifies soy, beef, palm oil, and timber as key global drivers of deforestation and land use change, which account for 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the UK's annual soy demand requires an estimated area of 1.2 Mha.
• The Manifesto acknowledges that achieving sustainable soy production requires systemic changes beyond its own scope, specifically mentioning the need for a transition toward alternative protein sources and more plant-based diets.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). UK Soy Manifiesto. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/theukmanifiesto-1.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. UK Soy Manifiesto. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/theukmanifiesto-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=UK Soy Manifiesto |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/theukmanifiesto-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendsoy, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{UK Soy Manifiesto}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/theukmanifiesto-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }