After extensive collaboration on the development of ADM's new commitment TFT is pleased to welcome ADM as our newest palm oil and soy member.
As of January 2019, The Forest Trust has become Earthworm Foundation.
As part of their TFT membership, ADM is partnering with TFT to map their global supply chains for palm oil and soy. The aim is to assess where there may be risks related to deforestation, peat destruction, or Human Rights violations.
The next step is to develop pragmatic action plans to address those risks. As one of the world’s largest providers of cereals and oilseeds, this work has the potential to provide palm oil and soy free from deforestation to markets around the world. It is likely have a significant impact on practices in both Asia and Latin America.
ADM is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with more than 33,000 employees serving customers in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company’s global value chain includes more than 460 crop procurement locations, 300 ingredient manufacturing facilities, and a world-premier crop transportation network.
A major focus of the company is processing cereal grains and oilseeds into products used in food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses worldwide.
Though ADM is not a grower of crops, as a significant buyer and trader they work independently and with industry partners and other stakeholders to improve the quality of crops in the global supply chain, the lives of farmers and communities that grow them, and the environment in which they are grown.
These aspirations are advanced through policies and commitments focused on palm and soy supply chains that were announced today at ADM’s Annual Shareholder meeting.
The new commitment includes protection of High Carbon Stock forests, protection of High Conservation Value Areas, respect for Human Rights, including workers’ rights and the rights of indigenous and local communities to give or withhold their free, prior and informed consent to operations on lands to which they hold legal or customary rights.
ADM is TFT’s largest member to commit to working with TFT toward No Deforestation for soy. Their soy operations include sourcing from farmers throughout Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, as well as other countries in South America.
TFT will work pragmatically with ADM to begin mapping their soy supply chain against HCS forests, HCV areas and peatlands and expeditiously develop appropriate action plans to create a more sustainable, traceable soybean supply chain that protects these areas. As TFT members, ADM has also committed to publish the action plans and provide regular updates of their progress.
‘We look forward to partnering with ADM to implement the ambitious work plan we have developed for their first year of TFT membership in Palm Oil and Soy,’ said Robin Barr, TFT Director for the Americas, ‘This commitment is significant because it applies to all the soy that ADM buys and sells, and will lay the groundwork for ensuring that soy is not driving deforestation in any region, not only the Brazilian Amazon.
I hope other companies will be inspired by this announcement to set equally ambitious goals, as we will only be successful in stopping deforestation if the large brands, food and ingredient manufacturers, refiners and traders buying soy set clear commitments and work plans for how to map their supply chains and support their suppliers to improve practices.’
