Cranswick switches to 100% certified deforestation-free soya

In a combined pork and poultry industry-first, Cranswick plc has addressed the carbon impact of animal feed by moving all our farm-to-fork sources to 100% certified deforestation-free soya. 

Certified soya is grown on land that is not associated with deforestation or recent land-use change. The move will enable Cranswick to make a 21% reduction in carbon, compared to the previous system.

Switching to a sustainable sourcing model is a substantial step forward, as animal feed remains a major challenge for the meat industry - making up around 80% of Scope 3 emissions targets.

The business has moved from a book and claim system to a full mass balance system, allowing for greater transparency in certified soya moving through the supply chain. The new soya sourcing model means that Cranswick plc is choosing to pay a higher price for feed but it puts the business in a positive position to meet its goal to halve Scope 3 emissions in nine years -  the area which provides the greatest opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint.

Ash Gilman, head of agricultural strategy at Cranswick plc, commented: “Cranswick started using RTRS book and claim certified soya in 2018, and in 2020, we purchased RTRS regional mass balance soya. We are now in the process of moving towards full mass balance soya across our own pig and poultry farming businesses. As a member of the Government Soya Round Table and Soya Transparency Coalition, we fully appreciate the challenges involved in moving the pig sector onto 100% certified soya but are keen to demonstrate what can be achieved by closer collaboration.

“We have already reduced the soya inclusion in our pig diets from 16% to under 10%.  We are now switching the remaining soya to certified deforestation-free and this will help us reduce our pig carbon emissions by 21%. The global soya supply chain has its challenges and this isn’t a perfect solution but we are committed to reach our goal to become the world’s most sustainable meat business, and that involves working towards further soya reduction within the diet and looking into further options to replace it.

“For example, we have undertaken trials using insect protein to replace soya within the pig diet and are constantly evaluating other options within the diet to reduce the overall carbon footprint even further. By signing up to Science Based Targets, we have committed to halving our emissions by 2030 and reaching Net Zero by 2040, and animal feed will play a big part of this.”

The business works collaboratively throughout the supply chain and believe the commitment to the mass balance system will encourage other businesses across the industry to step up and build on current activities being driven by the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya, The Soya Transparency Coalition (of which Cranswick are founding members) and the CGF Forest Positive Coalition Soy Roadmap.   The business supports the Amazon Soy Moratorium and is a signatory to the Cerrado Manifesto.

Cranswick’s action on climate change has been embedded across all areas of the business, and they are one of the only UK food manufacturers to have set an approved 1.5 degree aligned Science Based Target (SBTi) across Scope 1 (direct), 2 (power-related) and 3 (indirect) to reduce emissions by 50% across the entire value chain by 2030. 

Cranswick’s confirmation of deforestation-free soya comes alongside the announcement that 14 of Cranswick’s manufacturing sites are now certified carbon neutral. Click here to learn more.