USSEC and BKP Deepen Collaboration to Scale Sustainable Soy Sourcing Across Asia

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Company Limited (BKP), part of the CP Foods group, have signed an expanded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the uptake of sustainable soy across Asian feed and food value chains. The refreshed agreement pairs USSEC’s SSAP-based technical expertise with BKP’s regional processing and procurement footprint to improve traceability, lower carbon intensity and make verified sustainable soy more accessible to processors, millers and manufacturers in the region.

Why the expanded pact arrives at a pivotal moment

Global soybean production has been consistently large in recent years-regularly topping the 350 million tonne mark-and demand for verified sustainable inputs is intensifying as Asian aquaculture and poultry sectors continue to grow. At the same time, brand owners, traders and regulators are pushing for verifiable sustainability credentials, which creates a widening gap between on-farm practices and industrial buyers’ reporting needs. This MoU targets that gap by linking farm-level verification to the processors and feed companies that supply Asia’s fast-growing protein markets.

Context and market drivers

• Asia remains the principal destination for globally traded soy products, and feed demand in Southeast Asia is expanding as diets and production systems intensify.
• Corporate ESG commitments and evolving regulatory expectations are increasing pressure on supply chains to demonstrate deforestation-free and climate-smart sourcing.
• Digital traceability and third-party verification are becoming minimum expectations for premium supply contracts and green finance instruments.

Core aims of the partnership

Rather than a narrow commercial arrangement, the MoU outlines a strategic agenda focused on systems change. The primary objectives are:

• Increase the volume of SSAP-verified U.S. soy available to Asian processors and feed manufacturers.
• Build interoperable, farm-to-factory traceability so downstream buyers can report consistent ESG metrics.
• Drive reductions in Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions across soy ingredient supply chains.
• Demonstrate sourcing models that avoid deforestation and land conversion in priority markets.

Practical commitments: what each partner will do

The MoU establishes a joint implementation plan that touches on verification, farmer engagement, pilot projects and commercial uptake. Responsibilities are allocated to leverage each partner’s strengths.

USSEC’s contributions

• Provide the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) framework, verification approaches and technical guidance on climate-smart agriculture.
• Develop monitoring methodologies and tools for calculating greenhouse gas intensity and other key indicators.
• Design training curricula and advisory materials for agronomic best practices adapted to local contexts.

BKP’s contributions

• Integrate SSAP criteria into procurement policies and supplier selection across its regional operations.
• Run pilots within its processing and feed-supply network, testing practical approaches to traceability and low-carbon sourcing.
• Deploy commercial channels to scale verified volumes and provide market access incentives for compliant suppliers.

Measuring progress: indicators, data and verification

A core feature of the agreement is a harmonised set of measurable indicators and a common approach to traceability and reporting. Suppliers will capture environmental and management data at defined nodes in the supply chain so downstream buyers can aggregate consistent ESG information.

Priority performance indicators

• Greenhouse gas emissions intensity per tonne of soy-derived ingredient
• Water-use efficiency and responsible nutrient management on participating farms
• Proportion of volumes traceable to a specific production unit or cooperative
• Number of producers receiving training and adopting verified climate-smart practices

To operationalise these metrics the partners will roll out digital reporting platforms and third-party audit protocols tailored to local realities. The approach is comparable to traceability advances in other commodities-similar to cocoa programmes that allow a chocolate brand to demonstrate origin and farmer-level practices-here adapted for soybean meal and other soy-derived ingredients used in feed and food.

From pilot to practice: field-level implementation

On-the-ground work will combine capacity building, data infrastructure and demonstration pilots. Key elements anticipated under the MoU include:

• Joint training sessions for mill operators, feed formulators and farmers on traceability, GHG accounting and agroecological best practices.
• Shared digital platforms that capture farm inputs (fertiliser type and rates, yields, energy use), enabling standardised carbon-intensity calculations.
• Pilots testing deforestation- and conversion-free sourcing approaches across varied supplier models and landscapes.
• Consumer-facing chain-of-custody tools-QR codes or metadata tags-so finished feed and ingredient products can carry verifiable sustainability claims.

Illustrative pilot scenario

One practical example could involve a regional feed mill that purchases SSAP-verified soymeal: the mill records batch-level metadata to a shared platform, the finished feed carries a QR code linking to that batch information, and an aquaculture or poultry integrator uses the metadata in its sustainability disclosures. This creates a continuous, auditable link from the producing farm to the animal product reaching retailers.

Aligning incentives: policy, finance and markets

The partners recognise that voluntary corporate measures must be reinforced by coherent policy signals and financial support to enable widescale adoption. The MoU therefore promotes:

• Harmonised sustainability criteria across importing markets to ease compliance burdens for exporters and processors.
• Access to finance-green loans, blended finance and preferential lending-that reduces upfront costs for farmers and processors adopting climate-smart practices.
• Public-private technical assistance to translate regulatory expectations into practical on-farm protocols and procurement systems.

Examples of market incentives under consideration include expedited certification pathways, preferential supply terms for verified volumes, and co-financing for farmer training or traceability upgrades-measures designed to make verified sustainable soy commercially compelling rather than solely a compliance cost.

Anticipated benefits and points of scrutiny

If successfully implemented at scale, the initiative could deliver a suite of benefits: lower supply-chain emissions, increased resilience for producers through improved soil and water management, and clearer ESG reporting for processors and brands. Consumers would gain greater assurance that soy-derived ingredients in feed and food meet deforestation-free and climate-smart standards.

However, success will depend on several critical enablers: interoperable data systems, credible third-party audits, sustained financing for on-farm transitions, and commercially meaningful demand for verified volumes. Industry observers will watch whether the partnership converts commitments into demonstrable reductions in environmental impact and measurable growth in traceable, SSAP-verified soy volumes-particularly in priority countries identified by the agreement.

Looking ahead: positioning soy for lower-carbon protein systems in Asia

By marrying USSEC’s SSAP-backed verification capabilities with BKP’s regional commercial reach, the MoU positions sustainable soy as a foundational ingredient in Asia’s transition to lower-carbon feed and protein systems. The initiative brings together technical assistance, traceability infrastructure and market incentives to help farms and processors meet rising sustainability expectations. As pilots progress and data accumulates, the real test will be whether these coordinated efforts yield verifiable, scalable improvements across the region’s soy supply chains-turning ambition into measurable impact for sustainable soy sourcing across Asia.