Ensure Deforestation Free Plant Sourcing Under ASC Feed

Deforestation free plant sourcing rules

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council updated rules for plant ingredient supply chains under Criterion 5.1 in version 1.2 of the ASC Feed Standard. This affects quality managers, compliance leads and procurement personnel at certified feed manufacturing units. Feed mills must commit to transition towards deforestation and conversion free supply chains across all plant ingredients. Conformity Assessment Body auditors verify public commitments, cutoff dates and risk assessment outcomes during certification audits.

Certified feed mills must categorise all plant supply chains into three distinct risk and volume categories under Indicator 5.1.1. In addition, feed mills must publish a formal commitment, set fixed cutoff dates and execute time-bound public action plans. Failing to classify plant ingredients or failing to maintain a public commitment indicates a non-conformity. Auditors examine supply chain mapping, geospatial risk data and public disclosure templates during annual reviews.

Eliminating land conversion from agricultural supply chains protects critical forest ecosystems and reduces biodiversity loss. Sourcing certified or verified deforestation-free plant raw materials supports global climate targets and aligns with international sustainability standards. Under Principle 5, feed mills must ensure that primary raw material production does not cause legal or illegal deforestation. Demonstrating transparent supply chain monitoring builds market confidence among aquaculture producers and retail buyers.

Categorising plant ingredient supply chains

Feed mills must divide all plant-based raw material inputs into three specific categories defined under Indicator 5.1.1:

• Category 1 ingredients: Plant ingredients known to have global risks, specifically all raw materials derived from soy and palm oil.
• Category 2 ingredients: Highest-volume plant ingredients that collectively make up at least fifty percent of the remaining plant volume after deducting soy and palm oil.
• Category 3 ingredients: All remaining lower-volume plant ingredients used in aquafeed manufacturing.

Setting cutoff dates and risk assessment pathways

Indicator 5.1.2 mandates that feed mills make a public commitment containing fixed cutoff dates for deforestation and land conversion. For Category 1 ingredients, the cutoff date must be set no later than 31 December 2020. For Category 2 and Category 3 ingredients, cutoff dates must follow Appendix 9 requirements by being fixed in time, set sufficiently early to avoid incentivising further deforestation and enabling objective satellite or radar monitoring.

Under Indicator 5.1.3 and Indicator 5.1.5, feed mills must assess legal deforestation and land conversion risks at the primary raw material level using one of four approved pathways:

• Pathway 1 Country Risk Score Cards: Feed mills check official ASC country risk scorecards published on the ASC website to verify if a producing country is categorised as Low Risk.
• Pathway 2 Sub-national or sectoral assessment: Feed mills evaluate regional risk factors, satellite data and supply chain mapping to demonstrate Low Risk in specific sourcing regions.
• Pathway 3 Ingredient manufacturer assessment: Feed mills collaborate with suppliers to review management systems, land acquisition records and verification evidence.
• Pathway 4 Certification: Feed mills verify that primary plant raw materials hold valid certification under an approved scheme listed on the ASC website.

Public action plans and multi-stakeholder platforms

Within one year following initial certification, Indicator 5.1.7 requires feed mills to implement a public action plan for Category 1 soy and palm oil ingredients and Category 2 highest-volume plant ingredients. The action plan must establish quantitative and geographically specific targets, milestones and timelines. Where Category 1 soy or palm oil demonstrates Medium Risk or High Risk under Principle 5 Due Diligence, it can only be sourced as a non-eligible ingredient if covered by an active public action plan. If no public action plan is put in place, high-risk soy or palm oil cannot be sourced for any aquafeed.

Under Indicator 5.1.11, feed mills must report progress against their public action plan milestones annually on their website. In addition, Indicator 5.1.14 requires feed manufacturers to participate in at least one multi-stakeholder platform advancing the transition to conversion-free supply chains, such as the Cerrado Manifesto. Annual reporting ensures transparency and public accountability across agricultural supply chains.

What to do now

Quality managers can take four concrete actions to prepare plant supply chains for ASC Feed certification:

• Categorise plant ingredients: Calculate total annual plant ingredient volumes to separate Category 1 soy and palm oil from Category 2 highest-volume ingredients and Category 3 ingredients.
• Publish no-deforestation commitment: Publish a formal commitment on the company website containing a cutoff date no later than 31 December 2020 for soy and palm oil.
• Assess deforestation risks: Conduct Principle 5 Due Diligence using one of the four approved pathways for Category 1 and Category 2 plant ingredients.
• Develop the public action plan: Formulate an action plan with quantitative, geographically specific targets within one year of initial audit and join an approved multi-stakeholder platform.

Reference documents

• ASC Feed Standard, V1.2, Criterion 5.1, Indicators 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 5.1.4, 5.1.5, 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 5.1.8, 5.1.9, 5.1.10, 5.1.11, 5.1.12, 5.1.13, 5.1.14, Appendix 6, Appendix 8, Appendix 9
• ASC Feed Standard Interpretation Manual, V1.2, Criterion 5.1, Appendix 9