The “Seminar on the Development of Traceability in the Soybean Supply Chain,” co-hosted by the Beijing Representative Office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA), was successfully conducted in Beijing. This seminar is geared towards advancing traceability, reducing carbon emissions, and fostering green development, playing a pivotal role in supporting sustainable trade relations between China and Brazil. Dr. Shi Lin, a Senior Researcher at the International Institute of Green Finance at Central University of Finance and Economics, was invited to participate in the forum discussions.
The seminar brought together representatives from various fields, including the Chinese and Brazilian governments, research institutions, industry organizations, financial institutions, and businesses. They collectively focused on providing insights and recommendations in the realm of carbon reduction within the supply chain. Participants pledged their commitment to supporting the establishment of a sustainable food supply chain in China and driving the green transformation of related industries such as grains, meat, and feed.
China and Brazil, as crucial stakeholders in the soybean industry, are encouraged to strengthen their cooperation in advancing sustainable and low-carbon developments within the sector. The seminar underscored the crucial importance of the soybean supply chain in the sustainable development of the food industry. It particularly emphasized the significance of using traceability systems to identify high-emission and biodiversity-risk areas. Based on this consensus, the seminar called for collaborative efforts among governments, industries, and businesses to address the challenges of traceability and promote the sustainable development of the soybean supply chain.
During the Chinese experience-sharing session, Senior Researcher Dr. Shi Lin from IIGF emphasized that a significant 85% of China’s soybeans rely on imports, primarily from Brazil and the United States. Moreover, the concentration of domestic soybean processing, manufacturing, and wholesale enterprises is notably high in Beijing, South China, and East China, especially within the import sector, giving it substantial industry influence. Additionally, it was emphasized that the conversion of land for soybean production contributes to 5-14% of emissions from Land Use Change (LUC) within the food system, equivalent to 1%-3% of the total emissions from the food system. Dr. Shi Lin also provided insights into the progress and challenges facing China’s green supply chain finance as it supports traceability systems and biodiversity conservation, underscoring the crucial role of financial mechanisms in advancing sustainability and ecological conservation within the soybean industry.
To facilitate thorough communication and drive future initiatives, both Chinese and international participants actively participated in discussions during the workshop’s group session. The focal points of these discussions included the “current state of traceability in the soybean industry,” “crucial supply chain data and its acquisition,” and “measures to improve traceability in China’s soybean supply chain.” Attendees unanimously recognized the imperative for collaborative efforts, considering the existing discrepancies in definitions, standards, and tools within China’s soybean supply chain traceability system. They stressed the importance of establishing a comprehensive platform that involves stakeholders across the entire industry chain. By creating consistent standards and traceability systems, sharing traceability information from source countries like Brazil, and enhancing industry transparency, along with reinforced policy guidance, their objective is to secure acknowledgment and support from end consumers.
Ensuring the environmental sustainability of commodity supply chains is vital for global development, with a particular emphasis on soybeans, a major global oilseed crop. Supply chain enterprises possess substantial, yet untapped, potential to drive emission reductions and promote eco-friendly development. Enhancing the “traceability” of supply chains is a crucial and essential measure in achieving this transformation. It serves as a fundamental technological solution to streamline trade chains effectively and strengthen the current economic landscape. Furthermore, prioritizing the resilient development of sustainable trade between China and Brazil remains of utmost significance.