The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (MAPA) officially included the COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard in its Boas Práticas Agrícolas (Good Agriculture Practices programme), as announced in the Diário Oficial da União (Brazil Federal Gazette).
The Good Agricultural Practices programme was launched in 2021 to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Brazil, aiming to enhance food security, protect the environment and improve farmers’ livelihoods. With MAPA’s recognition, producers certified under the COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard can benefit from lower loan interest rates offered by accredited financial institutions.
The COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard is a voluntary certification programme for agricultural producers and other chain of custody suppliers. Through measures such as product traceability, satellite imagery monitoring, on-site inspections and independent audits, it ensures that farming practices comply with legal, environmental and human and labour rights requirements, with a particular focus on preventing deforestation and conversion.
The COFCO Standard has been confirmed to align with the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) Soy Sourcing Guidelines since 2023. It has also been newly recognised by the Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition as a recommended benchmark for reporting deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) soy volumes.
The COFCO Standard is currently implemented across farms in Brazil and Argentina. To date, COFCO has already shipped certified cargoes under the standard to China, Argentina and Thailand.
The COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard is available in English and Chinese here:
https://www.cofcointernational.com/sustainability/upholding-standards/certification-and-verification/
