COFCO commences soy shipments to Mengniu Group
This shipment has been third-party verified as deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) since December 31, 2020.
CHINA – COFCO International has begun shipments of soybeans to Mengniu Group under a certified sustainable soybean agreement for 1.5 million tonnes.
The first shipment, consisting of 69,000 tonnes of soybeans, was loaded on May 28 at COFCO’s new STS11 terminal in Santos, Brazil.
On-farm audits ensure sustainable water management, biodiversity conservation, and ethical labor standards in accordance with the COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard, Module 2.
The soybeans are intended for use in sustainable dairy production by Mengniu Group’s subsidiaries, Modern Farming and China Shengmu Organic Milk.
Mengniu Group, one of the world’s largest milk producers, will receive certified soybean volumes through a mass balance chain of custody between 2025 and 2030.
These soybeans are essential for meeting the sustainable feed requirements of Mengniu’s extensive dairy production operations across China.
The agreement, announced in February, was established through the World Economic Forum’s Green Value Chain Taskforce.
The signing ceremony included senior leaders from Modern Farming, Shengmu, COFCO, and representatives from the Tropical Forest Alliance, along with officials from the port of Santos.
This collaboration builds on previous shipments facilitated by the Green Value Chain Taskforce, which enabled COFCO International’s first deal incorporating a DCF clause to ensure commodity production does not harm natural ecosystems.
During the ceremony, COFCO International, the overseas agriculture arm of Beijing-based COFCO Corp., reaffirmed its commitment to halting global deforestation from soy and corn supply chains, as well as preventing ecosystem conversion from soy and corn in South America by 2025.
This commitment aligns with COFCO’s Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)-validated climate goals, which are consistent with the global target of limiting climate change to 1.5°C.
In May 2024, COFCO International successfully loaded 18,000 tonnes of certified deforestation-free soymeal at its Timbúes port terminal on the Parana River near Rosario.
This marked the company’s first fully traceable and segregated soy shipment, which aligns with the upcoming European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR).
COFCO Group is a Chinese state-owned food processing holding company and is China’s largest food processor, manufacturer, and trader. It is also one of Asia’s leading agribusiness groups, alongside Wilmar International.
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