1

REPORT

Second International

Soya Congress

Danube Soya and the European Protein Debate

Augsburg, 25th and 26th of November 2013

2

Report 4th International Soya Symposium

Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................3

1 Organizers ..................................................................................................................................4

2 Co Organizers ............................................................................................................................4

3 Sponsors .....................................................................................................................................5

4 Speakers, Moderator and Rapporteurs .................................................................................6

5 Program ................................................................................................................................... 11

6 Exhibition ................................................................................................................................ 12

7 Soya Bean Breeding Workshop ............................................................................................ 12

8 Congress Report ....................................................................................................................... 13

9 The Danube Soya Declaration .............................................................................................. 22

10 Participants ............................................................................................................................. 22

11 Media Coverage ..................................................................................................................... 22

12 3rd International Soya Congress ........................................................................................... 23

13 Annex ....................................................................................................................................... 23

3

Abstract

Danube Soya and the European Protein Debate

The successful Soya Congress 2013 “Danube Soya

and the European Protein Debate” was held on the

25th and 26th of November at the Congress Hall in

Augsburg, Germany.

The Congress was opened by Minister Brunner,

Agricultural Minister of Bavaria, Rudolf Bühler,

President of the Farming Producers Community

Schwäbisch Hall, and Matthias Krön, President and

Founder of the Danube Soya Association.

After the opening

speeches the Political

Forum was held in which 10 official, political representatives took part.

On the first day of the Congress three different Forums on topics dealing

with soya, soya production, GMO-free labeling and agricultural policy

took place. On the second day all three Forums continued and

additionally the Breeders Workshop was held.

This year the congress saw the third international workshop of European

Soya breeders, where scientists and specialists in plant breeding, from

different countries, were taking part.

In the evening of November 25th

the Bavarian State Ministry invited all

participants of the congress to a dinner in the Textilfabrik in Augsburg.

4

1 Organizers

The main organizers of the International Soya Congress were the Danube Soya Association and the

Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry.

2 Co Organizers

The Danube Soya Association wants to thank all co-organizers for their great support and help.

5

3 Sponsors

The Danube Soya Association wants to thank all Sponsors of the Congress for their great support and

help.

6

4 Speakers, Moderator and Rapporteurs

107 highly qualified speakers presented a wide range of topics. Dr.

Werner Prill was the moderator of the Opening and Closing Session

and of the Forum 2. Dr. Martina Bavec was the moderator of Forum

1 and Dr. DI Helmut Gaugitsch presented Forum 3. Dr. Volker Hahn

was organizer and moderator of the 3rd

International Soya Bean

Breeding Workshop.

In the closing ceremony all four forums were presented by various

rapporteurs to the plenary group. Rapporteurs of the four Forums

were:

Forum I (Martina Bavec, Birgit Wilhelm)

Forum II (Donal Murphy-Bokern, Frank Trauzettel)

Forum III (Helmut Gaugitsch, Stefan Kausch)

Forum IV (Volker Hahn, Vuk Djordjevic)

Speakers of the Danube Soya Congress:

First Name Surname Organisation

Alois Aigner Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Ludwig Asam FiBL Deutschland e.V.

Aurel-Florentin Badiu The Academy of Agriculture and Forestry

Sciences, Romania

Svetlana Balešević- Tubić Institute of field and vegetable crops, Serbia

Martina Bavec University of Maribor Faculty of Agriculture

and Life Sciences, Slovenia

Martin Bencko Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

development of the Slovak Republic

Gert van Bijl Solidaridad, Netherlands

Helena Bijelic BIMAL d.d., Bosnia and Herzegovina

Johann Birschitzky Saatzucht Donau GesmbH & CoKG

Ursula Bittner Danube Soya Association, Austria

Ludger Breloh REWE-Zentral AG

Rudolf Bühler Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch

Hall

7

Martijn Buijsse Agrifirm, Netherlands

Jorge Cartin BASF SE, Germany

Branislav Crveni

Aurelie Dhaussy GD ECPA, Belgium

Dragos Dima Danube Soya Association, Romania

Vuk Djordjevic Institute of field and vegetable crops, Serbia

Georg Dobesberger Danubia Speicherei GesmbH

Andreas Dölz Land Baden-Württemberg

Walter Emathinger Fixkraft Futtermittel

Florian Faber ARGE Gentechnik-frei

Elisabeth Fischer Verein Soja aus Österreich

Stephanie Franck PZO Pflanzenzucht Oberlimpurg

Augustro Freire ProTerra Foundation

Michael Frey Agrana Stärke GmbH

Susanne Fromwald Danube Soya Association, Austria

Helmut Gaugitsch Environment Agency Austria

Georgi Georgiev Soybean Research Center - Pavlikeni

Martin Greßl Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing GesmbH

Annegret Gross-Spangenberg Federal Office for Agriculture and Food,

Germany

Markus Gstach Gstach Schweinemast & Schlachtbetrieb

Doris Günther GIZ GmbH

Volker Hahn University of Hohenheim

Martina Halama Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Ioan Has The Agricultural Research Station Turda,

Romania

Max Hiegelsberger Agrarlandesrat Oberösterreich

8

Alexander Hissting Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik

(VLOG)

Franz Hölzl

Macas Horvat Individual soybean producer, Serbia

Patrice Jeanson EURALIS SEMENCES

Alexandru Jurconi The National Federation PRO AGRO

Marija Kalentic GIZ/ACCESS

Grace Karumathy FAO

Stefan Kausch Soy Network Switzerland

Berta Killermann Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Marina Koren Dvoršak IKC - Institute for inspection and certification

UM, Slovenia

Konstanze Kraft Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Jan Krause Zemědělská agentura, s.r.o., Czech Republic

Bruno Krieglstein Ministerium für ländlichen Raum und

Verbraucherschutz, Germany

Matthias Krön Danube Soya Association

Christian Krumphuber Chamber of Agriculture, Austria

Natalija Kurjak Victoria Group, Serbia

Françoise Labalette Onidol

Eva Claudia Lang Austrian Federal Ministery of Health

Bettina Matzner via donau - Österreichische Wasserstraßen-

Gesellschaft mbH

David McNaughton Soya UK Ltd

Martin Miersch Life Food GmbH - Taifun Tofuprodukte

Ilija Mikulic Seges

Gabriele Moder InfoXgen

Frederic Moulin PP KOMPLEKS

Martin Müller Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

9

Eugen Muresanu The Agricultural Research Station Turda,

Romania

Donal Murphy-Bokern

Jerzy Nawracala Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding,

Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland

Viorel Nica The National Federation PRO AGRO

Louise O'Donoughue CÉROM, Canada

Franz Pfeifer SGS Austria

Tatiana Preda The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development of Romania

Werner Prill

Lijuan Qiu Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of

Agricultural Sciences

Jürgen Recknagel Sojaförderring / LTZ Augustenberg

Hansjörg Reiss Fenaco

Günther Rohrer LK Österreich

Gheoghe Valentin Roman The Academy of Agriculture and Forestry

Sciences

Oliver Roth Multinaut Donaulogistik

Teodor Rusu University of Agricultural Sciences and

Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca

Szabolcs Ruthner Hungarian Seed Association

Andrew Saunders Waitrose

Robert Schätzl Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft,

Institut für Betriebswirtschaft und

Agrarstruktur Karl Schedle

University of Natural Resources and Life

Sciences Vienna

Bernhard Schindler

Johannes Simons University Bonn

Duncan Sinclair Waitrose

Ricardo de Sousa ABRANGE

Emilija Stefanovic GIZ/ACCESS

Johann Steiner Steiner GmbH & Co KG

10

Alksandar Stojkov Vojvodina Investment Promotion- VIP

Bernhard Stoll RKW Kehl GmbH

Christof Strobl Caj Strobl Naturmühle GesmbH

Alexandra Sudaric Agricultural Institute Osijek

Ion Sula Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry,

Moldova

Peter Sutor Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Ion Toncea NARDI Fundulea

Péter Tóth NARDI Fundulea

Frank Trauzettel Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Peer Urbatzka Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Johan van Waes ILVO, Belgium

Nicu Vasile Profarma Holding, Romania

Dirk Vollertsen Landesvereinigung Ökologischer Landbau

Bayern e. V

Doris Werder Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft

Klaus Peter Wilbois FiBL Germany e.V.

Birgit Wilhelm WWF Germany

Eric Willems European Commission

Josef Willim BAG Güssing

Michael Wurzer ZAG

Heinz-Peter Zach Lebensministerium

11

5 Program

The congress was opened by the Bavarian State Minister of Food,

Agriculture and Forestry Helmut Brunner.

The introductory speeches were followed by the Political Forum which

was attended by Achim Irimescu (State Secretary of Agriculture and

Rural Development, Romania), Ion Sula (Vice-Minister of Agriculture and

Food Industry, Republic of Moldova), Byurhan Abazov (Vice-Minister of

Agriculture and Food, Republic of Bulgaria), Dejan Zidan (Minister of

Agriculture and Environment, Republic of Slovenia), Helmut Brunner

(Bavarian State Minister of Food, Agriculture and Forestry), Clemens

Neumann (General Director, Assistant Minister, Federal Ministry of Food,

Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Germany), Matthias Krön

(President Danube Soya Association) and Zwjedzdana Blažić (Assistant

Minister for Agriculture und Food Industry, Ministry of Agriculture,

Republic of Croatia)

The congress program was marked by a variation of different topics in the framework of four Forums.

The program was tight with a lot of interesting

presentations and discussions. Every forum was

characterized by plenary discussions, which was received

very well by the audience.

After an opening session of about 2 hours, the participants

could choose between 3 different forums:

November 25th

2013

Forum I: European Soya Production – Chances, Challenges and the Impact of CAP

Forum II: European Protein Supply – Regional and Worldwide Perspectives

Forum III: Workshop GMO-free Labeling in Europe: GMO-free Labeling in Practice – How it Functions in

the Different Markets

November 26th 2013

Forum I: European Soya production – Chances, Challenges and the Impact of CAP

Forum II: European Protein Supply – Regional and Worldwide Perspectives

Forum III: Who’s going to pay all that? Danube Soya as a Building Block for Great Brands

Forum IV: Improving Genetic Diversity and the Danube Soya Research Project: Breeders Workshop

Forum I: 225 participants

Forum II: 122 participants

Forum III: 45 participants

Forum IV: 56 participants

The detailed program can be found in Annex 1. The summarised outcome of all forums and

Workshops can be found in chapter 9 of the Congress Report.

12

6 Exhibition

For the first time, the participants of this year’s Congress were

given the opportunity to rent a stand and present their

company. 8 booths were rented to 10 companies and

organizations: GeneCon International and Agroisolab, Euralis

Semences, the Austrian Soya Association, the Danube Soya

Association, LFL Bayern presented the Bavarian Protein Strategy,

Genetic ID and Cert ID,

SGS Austria, Romer

Labs.

Participants had the opportunity to get more and detailed

information about the exhibitory companies. The exhibition

was well attended and was considered a great success by the

participants as well as the exhibitors.

7 Soya Bean Breeding Workshop

Goals of the Workshop:

An overview of European soybean

breeding activities

Discussing different needs of the value

chain partners towards necessary and

possible breeding goals

The identification of joint research

topics

Options for joint breeding/research

projects within Danube Soya

A Follow- up meeting for the year 2014

Development of a research proposal

Discussion on the necessity to increase the use of certified seed

See more information in chapter 9.

13

8 Congress Report

Forum I: European Soya Production – Chances, Challenges and the Impact of CAP

Moderator: Martina Bavec

Rapporteurs:

Martina Bavec (University of Maribor Faculty of

Agriculture and Life Science, Slovenia)

Günther Rohrer (Agricultural Chamber Austria)

Soya is well adapted to Central European climatic

and soil conditions. The area has a long tradition of

growing soya that dates back to 1875. Farmers in

many regions of the Danube countries successfully

produce soya using crop rotation programs. The

primary factor of limitation in the region is rainfall

during the summer months, which also affects maize and other competing commodities.

As a result of low investment in breeding, lack of plant protection options, irrigation, and local

processing and local value chains soya crops are not always able to compete with other commodities.

Successful soya production in Europe under GM-free conditions requires quality programs and brands

that can market GM-free soya to consumers. Danube Soya aims at bringing new and qualified buyers

into the region. Danube Soya plans to build a Soya Competence Centre in Novi Sad in order to develop

a demonstration and training program in the region.

The new CAP of the European Union includes several incentives for legume growing: Soya can be

grown in ecological focus areas (EFA) by farmers with more than 15ha arable land – but the conditions

and factors presented by this incentive program are still in negotiation. If the calculating factor is less

than 0.5 no significant effect will be achieved in terms of production, which effectively nullifies the

decision of the council of ministers.

In the absence of other options for support, this would prove very disappointing for the development

of European soya production.

For the MS voluntary coupled support options can be introduced for Protein Crops, but it is not 100%

sure yet if soya will be classified as a protein crop, as it obviously is. So questions remain how effective

the CAP will support soya production in the Danube Area.

It is a fact that Soya is the most adapted protein crop and the most successful legume in the Danube

area. Without qualified support it will be difficult for private industry and initiatives such as Danube

Soya to effectively develop soya from a minor crop into a medium crop within Europe. If acreage is not

increased Europe will be in danger of losing its last chance to develop GM-free breeding and to

increase yields that would close the gap with other commodities.

Plant protection is a major issue in European soybean production because soya is relatively susceptible

to weeds during its first growing stage. European soya has been a minor crop for the last forty years,

and investment in plant protection has been low. Extant plant protection chemicals are old, some of

them are only approved on a case by case basis, and are furthermore harmful to ground water. In

order to be successful, conventional European soya production needs new and better chemicals. ECPA

and BASF recognize the importance of future soya production in Europe and are ready to respond. It is

not realistic to develop new chemicals for European soya, but registration of extant chemicals that are

not yet registered in Europe can prove an important avenue for progress. Safe use of plant protection

14

chemicals have to be encouraged, and Danube Soya, ECPA and BASF are ready to work together on

best practice models and training. Environmental organizations such as the WWF emphasize the need

for best practice models that encourage crop rotation and other methods, as well as the banning of

the most harmful pesticides – all issues that require further research and the development of new

approaches. European soya must be grown sustainably in order to gain the support of stakeholders.

Organic soya can be grown without the use of pesticides and hence without the negative effects of

toxins on the eco-system. There is also a pressing need for greater efforts in weed control, an

additional subject that requires additional research and the development of new approaches. The

Danube Soya Initiative will continue to involve stakeholders in the development of economically viable

AND ecologically sensitive approaches to plant protection in the Danube Region.

Austrian soya production has continuously grown over the course of the last year to a total of over

40.000ha. This is about 20% of Austrian maize production and represents 2.5% of the cropping area.

The reason for this success lies in the excellent training and know-how of farmers who have a long

tradition of growing soya and the support of the chamber of agriculture. A second reason has been

that successful processing companies, primarily of food soya, have developed GM-free soya into

various successful finished and semi-finished food products.

In recent years soya production in Germany has come into renewed focus as a result of interest in local

and regional production chains and GM-free production. Bavaria has developed a protein strategy that

includes investment in soya production and breeding. The LfL has developed an economic model that

demonstrates the viability of soya production in many areas within Bavaria. The German State

Government (BMELV) has also developed a German Protein Strategy, and is supporting the

development of a large-scale soya demonstration network across Germany. Organic organizations,

food processors and research institutions are taking the lead.

Switzerland has a long-standing voluntary moratorium on the import of GM soya – this effectively

means that no GM soya enters the Swiss market place. Switzerland also has an excellent breeding

program, which they maintain even though their soya production potential is small.

France has much larger potential and good resources, but soya has difficulty competing with other

crops due to a lack of investment and regulatory support. 1/4 of their soya is organic and they plan to

increase their soya production by 300% before 2020.

Serbia: Vojvodina is one of the most successful soya growing regions in Europe, and Serbia is the only

country within Europe with a soya surplus. Serbia bans the import of GM Soya and GM-feed into the

country. The reason for this success lies in their combination of regulatory environment, strong seed

production and research, strong processors and well-trained farmers. The area can be viewed as a

model for other regions and will be the location of the future Danube Soya Competence Centre.

Romania used to grow more than 500.000ha of soya in the 1980s and had an important soya

production in the years before EU accession with GM-production. Romania is ready to grow more soya,

and has the largest potential area for soya in the EU. Romania has excellent academic research and

seed production, but their production is far behind its potential. Romanian farmers need investment,

financing and support: Irrigation, machinery, collection, storage and processing need to be developed

in the area. Local processing is the key to building value chains for farmers. Danube Soya has an office

in Bucharest and offers support to qualified buyers interested in accessing this potential.

Belgium – the soybean is also important in North Western Europe as a result of price development,

strong infrastructure, dependence of import, diversification of crops and crop rotations and

sustainability. Several research projects have been started there.

15

For Bulgaria the first step in support of the “Regional Cooperation for Protein Security in the Broader

Danube Region and the Southern European Region” joint declaration from Moravske Toplice

(Slovenia), signed on 23rd August 2013, is the elaboration of a national strategy for soybean

production development, with a target of 50,000 ha sown fields and 100,000 tonnes of soybean yield

in 2020. There are domestic non-GM varieties, a soy tradition and production experience, but there is

little interest among farmers or contracting companies.

Croatia having 50,000ha and yielding an average about 3t/ha covers only 50% of the state demand for

soy products and has great potential for increasing the area for the soybean.

Czech Republic growth potential is up to 30,000 ha and there can also be an increase in organic

production.

According to the Hungarian National Protein Programme potential in soybean production is up to

300,000t on 100.000ha (now 41,000ha). The soybean could also be grown as a second crop in the area

of Pannonia, where there is over 10 years of successful experience in organic growing management.

The focus of UK research is on the use of soya as a forage crop, but the biggest obstacle is the

classification of soya as an oil crop, which decreased its production in the UK after 2005 and will

remain a problem for EU soya if it is not changed in CAP 2020.

In Slovakia soybean production is on 30.000ha with 740 ha seed production, out of which and very

small portion is organic production.

Slovenia is expecting an increase in grain legume production if they are included with the greening of

Pillar 1 (4,000ha potential, currently 400ha) and the introduction of coupled support. Forage legumes

are considered more important and almost 100% of protein feed is imported.

In the last two years there has been increased interest in growing soybeans in Poland beacause of the

higher price of soybean meal, which has significantly improved the profitability of soybean cultivation.

Domestic plant breeding program and available arable areas are a huge potential for the future if CAP

introduces soybean subsidies such as greening and coupled payments.

Forum II: European Protein Supply – Regional and Worldwide Perspectives

Moderator: Werner Prill

Rapporteur:

Donal Murphy-Bokern (Germany)

Frank Trauzettel (Lfl Bayern, Germany)

The goal of the workshop was to contribute to an

agenda for the development of protein crops in

Europe. We have made progress: while many

aspects of the challenge of making Europe’s

supply and use of plant protein more sustainable

remain controversial, we have identified common

positions and understanding. Our most important

conclusion is that Europe needs a comprehensive

strategy that sets out pathways for public and private action to raise the sustainability of the

production and use of plant protein in Europe up to 2030. Key elements of such a protein strategy are

outlined here.

16

The global demand for meat is a major driver behind global land use change and increasing

greenhouse gas emissions. Global agriculture is expanding because of the combination of growing

populations and increased wealth, particularly in the emerging economies. The main response to this

in terms of plant protein supplies is the expansion and intensification of soybean production in South

America, where the resulting demand for arable land has increased land use change pressures, directly

and indirectly. This intensive production has led to environmental and technical challenges,

particularly around the use of genetically modified varieties with evidence of herbicide resistance in

weeds and concerns about the effects of potential glyphosate residues in feed. The promises made

during the introduction of GM soya towards a possible reduction of pesticides haven’t come true as

indicated by the disproportionately growth of pesticide application in comparison to the growth of

soya and maize acreage in particular in Brazil, according to Augusto Freire, ProTerra Foundation.

Particularly production costs in non-GM soy tend to be lower and yields tend to be higher as

emphasized by Ricardo de Sousa, Abrange. Unlikely the cost for traceability, segregation and

certification are higher at the expense of non-GM soy. Keeping this in mind this should justify public

funding for certification.

The FAO expects that expansion of soy production will continue in the next decades. Participants from

Brazil reported that agricultural expansion there continues to drive deforestation in South America

and currently used certification schemes such as that provided by the Round Table on Responsible Soy

struggle to impact on this. However, certified soy production is supported by measures to improve

production standards and yields and this combined with a small premium (2 – 3 Euros/tonne in India)

provide growers of certified soy with an advantage in the long term. Participants agreed that

certifications schemes need to cooperate to create critical mass and to reduce costs. They also agreed

that the premium certified soy sector must support wider approaches to the sustainable development

of the food system, such as a shift towards more sustainable healthy diets.

Generating long-term demand for a large quantity of sustainable and GM-free soya and soya products

imported into Europe is the first pillar of a European Protein Strategy. This workshop established a

common understanding that deep and sustained cooperation along the supply chain is the future.

The development of certification for sustainable soya and other protein crops is an important step to

ensure minimum standards in production. Consumer demand for GM-free soy, GM-free labelling

systems and products continue to be a strong driver for the development of sustainable soya. Some

retailers, such as the German-based REWE Group are actively promoting new supply-chains in their

own-brand products. Only by developing long-term demand for a critical mass of soya and

communicating this effectively to producer countries, fair and sustainable pricing systems and

partnerships for the supply of sustainable soya can be developed. REWE is acting at a number of levels

within their own business and in a wider policy context through partnership with other retailers

supporting the Brussels Soy Declaration. Danube Soya and other certification schemes – first among

them the ProTerra Certification, the largest sustainable and GM-free certification scheme – have

decided to work together to achieve mutual recognition and avoid competition. Danube Soya can play

an important role in improving the acceptance for soya as a whole and in enlarging brand programs

and volumes for sustainable and GM-free soya. Both exporters in Brazil and in India and farmers in

Europe need firm commitments from European buyers and a clear medium term perspective to

enlarge sustainable soya production on all continents. There is a shared understanding that

cooperation is the future.

Danube Soya – and the development of a European Soya is an important second pillar of a European

Protein Strategy.

Danube Soya can play an important role to close the European protein gap. With a mid-term potential

of 5 million tonnes, Danube Soya can provide about 15-20% of Europe’s soya need. Developing the

supply chains needed is a complex and challenging task, because new partnerships between farmers

and users of soya have to be built, based on the conditions of agriculture in the Danube region. A

17

committed and multidisciplinary focus has to be taken to address this in the framework of the EU

Danube Region Strategy. Developing a European Soya trade will make an important contribution to

the development of European agriculture because it can draw producers and users together and help

other commodities. International cooperation, coordinated agricultural policies and support for

research and development are necessary to support the development of European soya production.

The current commitment of governments to European Soya is far too low to be decisive.

Processing has to be developed hand in hand with supply of soya. Oil mills will have to be converted or

new ones have to be built. The development of European Soya will lead to innovative processing

concepts, such as on-farm toasting of soybeans for certain applications (for example laying-hens and

piglets). Changing the feed of animals is no trivial task and – as the example of the changeover of

laying hens feed in Austria to Danube Soya shows. It needs good planning, research and systematic

cooperation over the whole value chain. The future of European Soya production depends on

integrated and dedicated work over the whole value chain.

The direct use of vegetable protein for human consumption as the most sustainable solution to the

protein gap. This is an important third pillar of any successful European Protein Strategy.

Europeans used to consume about 10% of their calories from animal sources around 100 years ago,

while today this figure stands at 30%. The signs of change in consumption are there to see however: a

new generation of consumers is interested in more sustainable lifestyles, healthy food and

alternatives to meat, milk and eggs. This change corresponds to recommendations from doctors and

dieticians who generally recommend a diet based on grains, pulses and fresh fruit and vegetables. This

is also a climate friendly diet and a diet that is socially responsible on a global scale. In particular tofu is

an important source of protein for 2 billion people in Asia – and tofu has much potential in Europe as

indicated by the turnover of 23 Mio. € (2012) of the market leader of organic tofu products in

Germany (Martin Miersch, Life Food GmbH). Nutrition according to scientific recommendations in

Germany would mean to eat 44 % less meat. If all Germans would do this could reduce the land

footprint by 1.8 mil hectares as figured out by Dr. Birgit Wilhelm, WWF.

European companies basing their production on European soya are developing more and more

alternatives to animal protein products. Innovation and research are needed and are carried out in a

wide-reaching partnership between companies, universities, farmer’s organizations and governments.

The goal is to adapt European Soya to consumer needs, improve the health benefits and taste of

products and increase acceptance of these products in the market place.

The increased use of sustainable and GM-free European protein meals in combination with

sustainable and GM-free soya forms an important fourth pillar of a European Protein Strategy.

Besides sustainable and GM-free imported soya and Danube Soya there are other important European

sources of certified sustainable and GM-free feed proteins such as DDGS, high-protein meals as by-

products from starch production and other GM-free protein meals such as rape and sunflower meal.

These feed components can play an important role in combination with Danube Soya and sustainable

and GM-free overseas soya in creating feed mixes. More research and investment is needed in

developing European co-products as protein sources. The high digestibility of 000-rape meal in

particular allows an inclusion of 30 % to the poultry diet. High digestibility in general benefits to the

farmer through lower feed requirements (Dr. Karl Schedle, BOKU, Vienna).

A fifth pillar of a future European Protein Strategy must therefore be research for the reduced use of

supplementary protein components in feed.

Research in feed use can substantially reduce protein feed intake, fine-tune feeding concepts to the

development stage of the animal and help develop alternatives to mainstream proteins. One example

is dairy cattle feed where it has been demonstrated successfully that the complete elimination of

protein feed and increased quality of green fodder could improve the bottom line for farmers in

Europe.

18

Advancing Change

All of these changes entirely depend on individual decisions by millions of European farmers. We need

to better understand and capture on-farm benefits of legumes production. Recent research indicates

that these benefits are underestimated. Better training, demonstration fields and other dissemination

activities have to be provided to European farmers. On the feeding side increased European protein

crop production greatly enhances opportunities for farmers to engage with customers in accessing

new and emerging high value markets in Europe.

Changing supply chains starts with demand and consumption. European retailers and brand owners

have an important responsibility to lead the supply chain in a sustainable direction. European retailers’

existing commitments to sustainable and GM-free soya and protein sources are an important first

step. These large companies can be decisive in shaping future supply markets.

Regional and other brands reflecting high process quality should take the lead towards sustainability

and GM-free production. As local protein supply is not always possible, regional brands should use

their buying power to develop inter-regional partnerships with farmers. Programs in Bavaria, Baden-

Wurttemberg, Switzerland and Austria are taking currently positive and encouraging initiatives.

The feed sector has a responsibility to provide customers with sustainable protein for their animal

products. The feed sector is under pressure from low meat prices, and difficulties of supply for

sustainable soya. There are, however, important players who are ready to take up the challenge and

produce GM-free and sustainable feed.

Policy makers at the EU, national and regional levels have worked on soya and protein policies. So far,

these policies and strategies focus on coordinating the respective regional or national efforts. The

German strategy is focused on increasing the production of protein crops and we heard evidence that

its components are well coordinated in Germany in that context. Bavaria provides a good example of

regional policy actions and we heard evidence of a comprehensive range of research and development

activities well focused on questions of practical significance to Bavarian farmers. National and

regional programs – mainly in Austria, Switzerland and Germany - focus on research and dissemination

in local production. However, these national and regional strategies cannot address the underlying

drivers of Europe’s dependence on imported soy, in particular the advantage cereals have in

competing for land in much of Europe under current yield levels and prices. A concerted effort in

raising the productivity of protein crops across Europe is required, particularly where protein crops

grow well relative to cereals. This requires a strategic and European approach to research investment.

Much more support is needed for an interregional approach, which links countries such as those along

the Danube to users of soya who are able to already afford sustainable and European soya. This

systematically links farmers in the East who can produce soya in large quantities with users in the

north and west are willing to pay for sustainable soy. Initiatives such as the Danube Soya need funding

for demonstration and training programs and for building the supply chains necessary for European

soya production.

Forum III: Workshop GMO-free Labeling in Europe

Who’s going to pay all that? Danube Soya as a Building Block for Great Brands

Danube Soya in Practice – Chances and Opportunities

Moderator: Helmut Gaugitsch (Environmental Agency, Austria)

19

Rapporteurs:

Helmut Gaugitsch (Environmental Protection Agency,

Austria)

Stefan Kausch (Schweizer Sojanetzwerk, Switzerland)

Forum III was divided in two main parts: The 1st

day was

dedicated to GM-free labelling systems in Europe and the

second part focussed on the question of how to make

sustainability economically viable.

GM-free labelling is an important element that helps the consumer to make informed decisions about

buying food products. Currently the EU only provides for labelling of GM-food products. There is no

EU system in place for labelling non-GM food and animal products. There is an EU Initiative to develop

a common labelling system, but it is doubtful that this will be achieved in the near future.

All extant EU labelling systems – in France, Austria, South-Tirol, Germany, Slovenia - currently operate

under similar rules, however, there are some important differences between them. Increasing

consumer awareness about GM-free choices will be important in supporting European protein

production and in the development of local value chains in the Danube Region. It will also support

domestic soya production. Slovenia is a successful example of the implementation of a GM-free

labelling program in the area. In this context, the Slovenian government initiative undertaken by

Minister Zidan to create a working group for the CEE area that develops common rules is very

important. Local labelling schemes could otherwise become trade barriers that confuse the consumer.

Governments in Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia, along with the extant labelling systems

in Austria, Slovenia and Germany, have decided to work together to develop a joint system, and invite

other governments to join in.

The drive towards sustainability is led by consumer interest – and by responsible brands owned by

farmers, industry or retailers. Developing brands and markets that support sustainability is hard work.

It is not enough, however, to build brands on a single sustainability criteria such as GM-free. Brands

need to address consumer needs comprehensively. In this age of transparency non-sustainable

behaviour or buying threatens existing brands.

Sustainable buying challenges existing supply chains, buying patterns and pricing models. Instead of

spot buying, sustainable supply chains need partnerships and long-term commitments. Sustainable

supply chains need future goals, common timing models and fair trade. Waitrose has developed long-

term partnerships and is able to transform production based on fair pricing and commitments to

future buying goals.

Most of the egg production in Austria is currently being changed to Danube Soya feed. Retailers such

as REWE, SPAR and Hofer (Aldi Austria) and with their suppliers have pioneered this change. SPAR has

announced that next year 150 million eggs will be Danube Soya certified. In 2014 poultry feed will also

be switched to Danube Soya.

Consumers are interested in buying regional and high quality meat brands. This offers us an

opportunity to improve animal welfare and feed standards. At the same time, low prices lead to

marked changes in buying patterns. Danube Soya can sharpen the profile of regional brands and offer

them an opportunity to differentiate themselves from mainstream and store brands.

Regional brands in Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg play an important

role in local production. Protein supply for these brands often is still, in many cases, from global

sources. Within the Danube Soya area, regional supply chains must be developed because it is not

always possible to produce protein locally. Regional brands agree to spearhead the introduction of

Danube Soya into regional programs and develop concrete and quantifiable goals to that end.

20

Forum IV: Improving Genetic Diversity and the Danube Soya Research Project: Breeders Workshop

Moderator: Volker Hahn

Rapporteurs:

Volker Hahn (University Hohenheim, Germany)

Vuk Djordjevic (Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops,

IFVCNS, Serbia)

The Danube Soya Initiative, coordinated by Dr. Volker

Hahn and Dr. Hans Vollmann, has developed a

breeding initiative with a multi-step approach.

Breeders from all over Europe are engaged in active

participation and cooperation and are ready to work

together towards the development of a competitive European Non-GM soya for use in all favourable

climate zones.

The first goal of the Danube Soya Breeding Initiative is the establishment of breeding goals for food

use, on-farm use (full fat feed soya) and for standard oil mill soya in a multi-disciplinary, multi-

stakeholder approach. These breeding goals should provide guidelines for both academic and

commercial breeders and focus their activities on long-term market needs.

Yield is the primary breeding goal. Higher yield will

lead to a decrease in competition with other crops

and lead more producers to decide to grow

soybeans. Be that at it may, we must also keep in

mind that each use of soya demands diverse quality

traits. Different breeding programs will therefore be

essential to the development of soybeans that can

meet these quality requirements. In order to

optimize breeding programs for each breeding goal

it would be very helpful to have more knowledge

surrounding the genetics of the desired qualities.

Initiatives that support a broad investigation of the genetics of quality soybean traits would thus be

quite helpful.

The second approach is the development of a European Maturity Group scheme. These Mega-

Environment Trials will start in 2014 and will yield their results in 2015. Volker Hahn from the

University of Hohenheim is coordinating the trials along with the Danube Soya Initiative. The 15 most

successful European soya varieties from 6 maturity groups will be planted in 15 locations across

Europe in order to develop a unified maturity group scheme. This will help in future exchanges of

material and in predictions of the adaptability of individual varieties.

The third approach is to improve genetic diversity in European breeding by analysing current genetic

material, fully utilizing the genetic diversity of European soybeans and by introducing new varieties

from gene banks outside of Europe. Currently, most European material is closely related and as of yet

there has been no systematic screening of the most important varieties. Systematic screening of

European material will offer insight into current varieties and open up possibilities for systematic

insertion of material from similar maturity groups outside of Europe.

Apart from yield, there are two major breeding directions that are currently being followed in

different areas. In the northern latitudes breeders concentrate on developing varieties for colder

21

climates. At least eight genes that influence the maturity time of the soybean have been described.

Some of these have been investigated and molecular markers have been developed. It is now

necessary to find out which of these is the best combination for early high-yield genotypes. Another

approach uses mutagenesis to insert new maturity genes into the soybean genome. New genomic

tools, in combination with divergent germplasm, represent a sound basis for different breeding

programs.

In the warmer southern areas a lack of water is a major impediment for European soya production.

Breeders concentrate on varieties with improved tolerance of dry conditions. Multidisciplinary

approaches are necessary in this instance, because drought resistance is a difficult matter. It is

important to emphasize that is unrealistic to expect high yields in environments with limited water.

China is the ancestral home of the soybean, lacking a secondary gene pool. The majority of high

yielding varieties contain Chinese germplasm. More than 23,000 cultivated and 7,000 wild accessions

are conserved in the Chinese National Gene bank (CNGB). Accessions with agronomically important

and quality traits have been identified and are utilised in breeding. The Chinese soybean germplasm

represent powerful material for gene discovery, genomic studies and breeding.

The success of the soybean in Europe depends on increased yields and increased yield stability that

can perform well in comparison with major competing crops such as maize and sunflower. Europe has

excellent scientific know-how and good breeders. While breeders in Central Europe have ample know-

how and experience, they often lack access to modern equipment. Western breeders are often

starting up soya breeding programs from scratch, and can benefit from the know-how of their peers in

the east while offering them access to funding and technology. The Danube Soya Initiative has an

income of 1 Euro per ton for research. Small funds will be available from 2014 onwards, and will grow

along with the volume growth of Danube Soya.

Private investment in soya by seed companies already plays an important role in the viability of the

soybean in Europe and continues to grow. Good and adapted seeds are available. Much more

investment in breeding programs is needed in order to grow the soya into a larger and more

important European crop. The success of maize within Europe is the result of the intense investment

interest of breeding companies in hybrid maize. Soya does not allow for hybridization and farmers

effectively use farm save seeds – often without licence – for several years. This decreases the interest

of seed companies in investing in soya. The Danube Soya Initiative recognizes these problems and is

interested in supporting seed companies in their efforts to sell more original seeds in the coming

years. Be that as it may, many farmers are not yet growing soya and it would likely slow the progress

of the program to immediately demand the 100% use of original seeds. Danube Soya will thus work

with seed companies to develop a voluntary incentive program . Farmers that use original seeds and

provide the association with data will receive better training and extension service resources through

a program funded by the seed companies. Concrete negotiations on how to fund the scheme will take

place early next year.

In the meantime, European and national funding for soya breeding is of the essence. European

breeders are ready and have developed strong links with one another.

Europe is currently in danger of developing a gap that will prove hard to close. The Horizon 2020

program should issue a call for soya breeding as soon as possible. Under the Danube Soya Initiative

breeders have developed a draft call that should be supported by all governments. The development

of a competitive European soya will be impossible to achieve without major public investment.

22

9 The Danube Soya Declaration

At the Danube Soya Congress in Vienna 2012 the Danube Soya Declaration was signed by the Bavarian

Minister of Agriculture, the Agricultural Ministers of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Burgenland, the

Austrian Agricultural Chamber, “ARGE Gentechnik-frei” and the Danube Soya Association. In the year

2013 further countries joined and signed the Declaration at the Green Week in Germany. Serbia,

Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia, Republica Srpska, Austria, Croatia and Romania signed the Declaration in

2013. At the congress 2013 in Augsburg Bulgaria decided to sign the declaration as well.

For further information see Annex 2.

10 Participants

The Congress was very well attended and the organizers could welcome about 380 participants from

28 different countries (Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,

China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Macedonia, Moldova,

Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United

Kingdom and the United States). Many different companies, organisations and associations of the

seeding, trading, environmental, agricultural, food and feed sector were represented. A detailed list

of all can be found in Annex 3.

11 Media Coverage

The Congress was covered in a number of different

media, mainly in newspapers, on the radio, online

(newspapers and blogs) and magazines in Austria,

Germany, Romania but also in different other CEE

(mainly Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia) countries.

35 articles were written about the Soya Congress in

general and agricultural newspapers. The articles were

represented online and print in newspapers like Neues

Volksblatt, Top Agrar, Agrarzeitung, Börsen-Kurier,

Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt, Jurnalul de Agricultura (Romania) and many more.

Detailed information can be found in the Clipping report (Annex 5)

23

12 3rd

International Soya Congress

The next International Soya Congress is planned in autumn 2014 and will take place in an Eastern

European country.

13 Annex

Annex 1: Program

Annex 2: Danube Soya Declaration

Annex 3: List of all participants

Annex 4: Clipping Report

Annex 5: Booklet of the International Soya Congress

The Danube Soya Team and Mr. Anton Hübl (Bavarian State Ministry)