Latin America - EU sustainable beef and soy chains implementation
Despite the EU's interest in developing strategies to tackle Latin American environmental problems, the process remains constrained. A lack of technical and managerial solutions, research and training support, and awareness from policymakers is leading to this setback. The SALSA project aims at developing monitoring tools suitable for integrating ethical, environmental and socioeconomic impacts into one consistent model. A thorough assessment of all stakeholder and consumer needs has already resulted in a number of key accomplishments. For example, a Standards and Regulations database on sustainable beef and soy production and trade, as well as an analytical framework, have been implemented. The SALSA approach potential for increasing awareness on the complexity of sustainability also emerged: e.g. better environmental performances for organic beef and soybean chains showed, on the other hand, strong limitations related to land consumption and smallholder difficulty in complying to organic certification. Not shying away from technology, the SALSA website and e-Platform have been developed, providing training and relevant knowledge transfer to all stakeholders and a user-friendly tool for sustainability assessment. The project will ultimately give Latin America more competitive access to the global market for sustainable beef and soy production. Consumers will thus benefit from better access to sustainable food, and stakeholders will be provided with an improved knowledge base to support their decisions.
