International stakeholders ranging from agribusiness executives to green advocates have drafted standards that they claim will ensure global soybean farming is economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sound. But many environmentalists say the standards, issued by the Buenos Aires-based Round Table on Responsible Soy Association, would merely perpetuate a destructive and unsustainable model of monoculture production. The outcome of the ensuing debate will likely hinge on how rigorous the Round Table’s voluntary standards and compliance-verification system are deemed to be. The economic stakes could be considerable. Producers hope that a responsible-soy certification system will satisfy demand from a growing number of their customers, mainly in Europe, for soy grown without causing deforestation and other ills. “A [responsible soy] seal will help us... [Log in to read more]