Under the DANISH Product Standard, there are clear and documented requirements governing how soya used in pig feed must be produced and monitored in Denmark.

For DANISH-certified pig farms, 100 per cent of the soya used in pig feed must originate from responsibly produced sources. This requirement has been integrated into the DANISH Product Standard and forms part of the overall control scheme for certified pig producers.

The requirements are based on the FEFAC Responsible Soya Sourcing Guidelines, which provide the framework for responsible soya sourcing. These guidelines include criteria for production without deforestation or land conversion, as well as requirements concerning social standards, workers’ rights, environmental protection, biodiversity and nature conservation. Compliance with these criteria is a prerequisite for soya to be included in feed for DANISH-certified pigs.

A key element of the scheme is the official DANISH positive list of feed suppliers. Pig producers operating under the DANISH scheme may only purchase feed containing soya from suppliers included on this list. To be included — and remain included — suppliers must demonstrate annually, through an independent third-party audit, that all soya purchased complies with the FEFAC guidelines for responsible soya.

Compliance with the requirements is verified as part of the DANISH audit process at certified pig farms. Among other measures, the use of responsible soya is verified through feed documentation and feed labels, as well as verification that the feed suppliers used are included on the official positive list. During DANISH visits, photographic documentation is also collected of packaging or product sheets for feed products containing soya. This documentation is subsequently reviewed by an independent third party against the positive list.

The requirements for responsible soya within the DANISH Product Standard are recognised by the German QS scheme, which ensures consistency between schemes and control systems across borders. This means that the soya requirements in the DANISH scheme also form part of a broader European framework.

The Responsible Soya scheme has been implemented through a phased plan leading to full compliance. The agreement stipulated that an increasing proportion of the soya used should be responsibly produced: 20 per cent in 2021, 40 per cent in 2022, 60 per cent in 2023, 80 per cent in 2024 and 100 per cent in 2025. This implementation plan has been fully integrated into the control scheme under the DANISH Product Standard.

Compliance is documented through a signed Declaration of Accession, under which companies trading in soya or soya-containing products commit to submitting an annual auditor’s report. The report documents the mass balance between the purchase and sale of responsible soya and must, at a minimum, comply with the implementation plan. The documentation is submitted to SEGES, which verifies compliance with DANISH certification requirements and adds compliant companies to the official positive list.

Feed and trading companies that fail to meet the requirements may be removed from the positive list. In such cases, DANISH-certified pig producers may no longer purchase soya or soya-containing feed from the company concerned.

Looking ahead, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is expected to come into force at the end of December 2026, is set to introduce additional requirements. Among other measures, this will include GPS traceability for soya produced in or imported into the EU. These requirements will provide an additional layer of verification that the soya used in pig feed originates from responsible production.

The requirements for responsible soya are therefore an integral and controlled part of the DANISH Product Standard for pigs and constitute a documented element of feeding practices on certified pig farms in Denmark.