1 August 2009 

The Amazon Soy Moratorium has officially been renewed until July 2010. This was announced by the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE) and the National Association of Grain Exporters (ANEC).

The Soy Moratorium is a commitment not to trade soy from areas in the Amazon Biome that were deforested after July 24, 2006. Originally an initiative of the private sector and civil society, the Moratorium received the support of the Minister of the Environment, Carlos Minc, last year. Greenpeace is therefore now calling for a cattle moratorium to match the achievements of the Soy Moratorium in protecting the Amazon rainforest.

MVO and Dutch Task Force participants welcome the results and prolongation of the Moratorium. In the three years since the Moratorium was established concrete progress has been made. One of the results is that a monitoring system has been created that allows companies to identify properties that are not in compliance with the Moratorium. This way companies that contribute to illegal deforestation can be removed from the ABIOVE and ANEC supplier lists.

MVO and the Task Force further welcome the support for this initiative of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment. In the recent terms of commitment the Brazilian Ministry of Environment pledges to:

• Promote and support the registration and environmental licensing of rural properties, together with the state environmental agencies 
• Promote and support the implementation of the Ecological Economic Zoning (ZEE) in the legal Amazon states 
• Ensure the preparation of an Amazon Biome map on an adequate scale for monitoring the rural properties located in this region
• Cooperate with other government agencies, defending in international forums the development of incentive programs for sustainable production, including the remuneration for environmental services

The prolongation of the Amazon Moratorium is a very welcome step towards more sustainable soy production. Within the Round Table on Responsible Soy, an international multi-stakeholder initiative that works on the implementation of criteria for responsible soy production, a more inclusive solution for sustainability issues regarding the production of soy is being developed. However, this initiative will still some time before being fully effective. For more information see: www.responsiblesoy.org

Complete Press Article on the prolongation of the Moratorium
Overview of commitments regarding the Moratorium by stakeholders