Questions about Belsoy and its environmental credentials.
Do the Belsoy products contain genetically modified organisms?
No. To avoid contamination through genetically modified organisms, our company has developed a control system. In cooperation with an external certification body, Cert ID, we control all the phases of the soya bean production process : from the farmer to the point of sale. To guarantee that nothing escapes this control, this system is constantly evaluated and updated.
Do you buy soya beans from the Amazon forest?
No, our beans come from farms that are certified as being GMO free in Brazil, China, Canada and Southern Europe. There is absolutely no link between the rainforest in Northern Brazil and our soya farmers in the south of the country.
We buy our soya beans directly from farms that have been growing them for years and apply the crop rotation principle. None of these farms is situated on cleared or deforested land. This is in line with our clear and responsible principle of not sourcing our beans from the rainforest. Respect for the environment and a feeling of responsibility for the earth’s resources that feed us are the guiding factors in our production process.
We only source our beans directly from farmers and never from the commodities market. We have been working with some farmers for more than 20 years, which guarantees a perfect traceability, from harvest to the end product.
Does your company operate an environmental policy?
The environment is utmost in our concerns. Ten years ago, the company set up an environmental programme to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing process, products and packaging. We share the concerns of our consumers for a green and safe environment, not only today, but also tomorrow, and we are firmly committed towards supplying natural and environmentally-friendly products.
Do your soya beans come from fair trade?
We firmly believe in a fair trade policy and conclude long term contracts with farmers, guaranteeing them a fair price. We do not turn our backs on farmers simply because they have had a bad harvest.
Our company has also invested in several local projects with farmers in order to support the local community. We ensure that all the farmers are paid a fair price, we respect the local conditions and we have invested in charitable projects to improve local living conditions. One of these projects is financial support for the « EDHUCCA » project in Acuparana, in Brazil. This charitable initiative supports children and adolescents who cannot afford to pay for the education they need to increase their employment prospects and organises training and activities on top of schooling programmes. Our objective is to renovate and enlarge the school buildings and to provide young people with training/educational facilities.
Another project that we support is the Vitagoat programme in Africa. The Vitagoat is a modest production unit consisting of a grinder that runs on pedal power. This makes it possible to ground the soya beans and all that remains to do then is add water. This system is concentrated on soya milk and the production of products derived from soya and does not require any electricity, generators or running water, which is essential in view of the cost and unreliable supply of electricity in most of the developing world. But the Vitagoat does much more than produce soya milk : it allows people to produce something themselves. This has positive repercussions for their self-esteem and opens up the prospect of generating additional revenues.
As for our products, they do not carry the fair trade logo, simply because there are no fair trade standards in place as yet for soya.
