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Deforestation in the feed supply chain for dairy companies
AUTHOR
Patricia Garcia Diaz, SAI Platform
Abstract
The lack of transparency and traceability in feed supply chains, and the potential risk of feed ingredients related to deforestation and conversion are a huge challenge to the dairy Industry. As an industry solution, the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) recognises the potential connection with deforestation and animal feed as a concerning challenge with an important impact on climate change and nature. The aim of this project is to seek ways to address these issues and use the SDP methodology to support dairy companies in finding the tools and means to improve the outcomes of feed ingredients related to deforestation and ecosystem conversion in dairy supply chains.
Introduction
A lack of transparency and traceability in the supply chains for animal feed are a constant challenge to the dairy industry. As an industry solution for continuous improvement in dairy sustainability, SAI Platform’s Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) recognises the potential linkages between deforestation and conversion with animal feed as a key challenge with an important impact for climate change and nature as well as indigenous people’s rights. To address this challenge a focused workstream and the resulting project was created to identify and evaluate possible solutions.
To explore potential ways to address the challenges, the workstream has partnered with the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) to pilot the implementation of the Accountability Framework Initiative (Afi). Afi aims to clarify how companies can meet commitments to eliminate deforestation, ecosystem conversion, and human rights violations from their supply chains.
With the project, the Deforestation Workstream will evaluate if using the Afi as an industry approach might help the SDP address and evolve the issue of deforestation and ecosystem conversion in the dairy feed supply chain.
We are at the early stages of this project and are creating a deep understanding of the situation at the origin and the impact for dairy users. We are exploring different routes to address the challenge where every supply chain actor will have accountability within the solution.
Methodology
Phase 1
Uses the Afi to assess the current scenario developing risks profiles and action points to address potential deforestation and conversion in the supply chain of animal feed.
Phase 1b
A series of workshops takes a deep dive into the findings on the first phase, develops deeper knowledge of the situation and understands the current behaviour drivers of all supply chain actors to identify collective action points to address the challenges.
Phase 2
Defines the visibility to explore different solutions, this might include collaboration with other organisations leveraging existing efforts and defining a clear action plan for each supply chain actor.
Phase 3
last phase executes the approach and evaluates the impact
Expected Results
Define potential solutions to address deforestation in relation to animal feed in the dairy industry and what role the Sustainable Dairy Partnership can have in relation to this challenge.
Conclusion
The Sustainable Dairy Partnership is committed to tackling the issue of deforestation and conversion in the dairy feed supply chain. By collaborating they have been able to gain a deep understanding of the issue at origin and are exploring various solutions. The results of this project will enable us to define a step-by-step approach solution for the short-, medium- & long-term, and identifying the role SDP will play in this.
References
SAI Platform Website: Dairy Working Group https://saiplatform.org/working-groups-committees/the-dairy-working-group/
WWF Website: Article on Afi https://wwf.panda.org/?348210
