The SSAP describes the regulations, processes and management practices that ensure sustainable soy production and includes continuous improvement goals that draw metrics from the Field to Market National Indicators Report. Provided in their 2021 report, Field to Market measured environmental outcomes from on-farm production in the United States across major field crops including soybeans. 

Progress in the sustainability of U.S. soybean production is measured by Field to Market in terms of land use, water use, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion. Since 1980, soybeans in the United States, on average, use 48% less acres per bushel, 60% less irrigation per bushel and 46% less BTU per bushel of energy. Greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion have been reduced by 43% and 34% in terms of pounds of CO2e and tons of soil erosion per bushel, respectively. Meanwhile, crop yields in tons per hectare have increased by 130%.

In December 2024, U.S. soy organizations updated their continuous improvement goals based on the Field to Market benchmark. By 2030, U.S. soybean farmers aim to reduce land use impact by 10%, reduce soil erosion by 25%, reduce energy use by 10% and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5%. Together, these targets reflect the proactive approach to meeting the growing demand for sustainably produced food, feed and fuel on the part of U.S. soybean growers.

The SSAP is organized into four directives comprising 11 impact categories. The SSAP framework aligns with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning the U.S.-based protocol with international consensus on sustainability.

Directives and impact categories include both compliance criteria and aspirational goals. Compliance criteria are subject to audit and are regulated by national entities such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because soybean production is subject to federal law, noncompliance with mandated sustainability practices is discoverable via national supervision and precludes inclusion in USDA benefit programs in addition to potentially incurring financial penalties. Adherence to the SSAP is calculated in conjunction with annual audits of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Farm Service Agency. 99% of U.S. soybean acres participate in the U.S. Farm Program and are thus subject to audit. 

Aspirational goals, however, fall outside of federal or local law and position compliant producers within the global goals of sustainability. For example, within the Land Use, Sensitive Habitats and Biodiversity impact category, U.S. soybean farmers are required to respect and obey federal, state and local laws in the area of land use, sensitive habitats and biodiversity including the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Federal Migratory Bird Treaty, Highly Erodible Lands Conservation and Wetland Conservation provisions, and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. These compliance criteria contribute to the aspirational goal of habitat conservation under the impact category. SSAP Version 4.1 also introduces new language related to Indigenous rights under Directive 1, aligning with international sustainability stands.

The protocol’s final directive, Continuous Improvement, lays the groundwork for the next decades’ progress in sustainability, guiding producers to continue to adopt and support the development of innovations that improve both crop production and stewardship of the land.

The SSAP has earned several significant benchmarks, demonstrating its credibility and alignment with global sustainability standards. It has been positively benchmarked against the 2023 Soy Sourcing Guidelines of the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) and holds gold-level equivalency under the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform. The SSAP is also recognized by other leading frameworks, including the Global Seafood Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), GlobalGAP, GMP+, and QS; further underscoring its broad acceptance across the international value chain.

Adherence to the SSAP is evaluated by Soy Export Sustainability, LLC, (SES) to provide shipment-specific records of SSAP-compliant soy, including GMO, non-GMO and organic status. Working with an aggregate approach, SES determines on an annual basis the total share of U.S. soy in compliance with the SSAP by evaluating acreage and yield. Compliance is recorded in a database administered by SES and a unique certificate is recorded and produced for each protocol-compliant shipment of soy.

SSAP certificates can also be transferred from exporters to customers, down the value chain. SSAP transferable certificates add value by improving transparency, record keeping and supporting sustainability reporting throughout the supply chain.

Records are firm-specific and searchable by a unique identifier. In order to receive a certificate of compliance, a shipper or exporter intending to transport certified soy must register as a user of SSAP, establish a shipper-specific and secure record on the database and document shipment-specific information including volume and date of shipment. 

U.S. Soy exporters and their customers also have the option to include carbon footprint values on SSAP certificates, powered by data from the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI). The GFLI database contains over 1,800 LCA datasets on feed and food ingredients. This feature enables tracking of carbon footprint based on soy purchase volume and supports customers’ Scope 3 emissions reporting.

At the end of 2024, 71% of U.S. soy for export carried a SES-issued record of sustainability, with that share approaching 100% among exports to the European Union.

Since its inception through the end of marketing year 2024 (MY24), SSAP has issued a total of 232,225,927 MT of SSAP-verified soy. In MY24 alone, 40.5 million MT were verified under the protocol. The top destination regions for SSAP-verified soy during this period were Greater China, the Americas and Europe. Of all soy products issued with an SSAP certificate in MY24, whole soybeans accounted for 80% and soybean meal comprised 19%, while soybean oil and various other soy products represented smaller shares.

The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) employs an aggregate approach audited by third parties that verifies sustainable soy production at a national scale. The U.S. approach is quantifiable and results-driven with international verification available. The SSAP captures the progress and evolution of soybean production in the United States and for 87 years, Soybean futures have reflected that evolving and progressing industry. Learn more at www.cmegroup.com/soybeans. 

1. “Mass balance is a sourcing method that allows for certified and non-certified ingredients to become mixed during the shipping and manufacturing processes”; Rainforest Alliance, ‘What is Mass Balance Sourcing’