CJ Selecta, a Brazilian concentrated soybean protein producer of CJ CheilJedang, announced on April 21 that it has declared a "deforestation-free" to minimize damage to Amazon forests.
The intention is to prevent ecosystem destruction by seeking indiscriminate deforestation or slash-and-burn field cultivation for soybean production and to pursue 'ESG management' that considers the environment from raw materials.
As a result, about 400,000 tons of soybeans will be purchased outside the Amazon forest area in 2025. This is about 25% of the 1.7 million tons of soybeans CJ CheilJedang purchases for its annual food and bio
business.
To this end, a consultative body has been formed with major companies of concentrated soybean protein in Brazil to provide seed supply, fund, and purchase all harvested soybeans from farmers in Brazil other
than Amazon.
In addition, CJ Selecta is focusing its efforts on "carbon reduction" activities, such as increasing clean energy use and recycling wastewater in the entire production process of concentrated soybean protein to prevent global warming.
It increases the use of eco-friendly fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers and reduces carbon by using wood chips instead of coal. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions generated in all production processes of agriculture, production, processing, storage and distribution were less than one-third of the average of the three Brazilian competitors.
"We are working to realize a virtuous cycle of 'Nature to Nature' from nature to consumer table to nature in the wake of the declaration to stop purchasing soybeans in the Amazon region," a CJ CheilJedang official said. "We will strictly recognize that the entire process of production can affect the environment."
