Java Script is deactivated

We´ have noticed your Java Script is deactivated. Our website works better with Java Script enabled

Soy

Introduction to the Soy sustainability challenge

Soy is one of the world’s most widely grown crops, used in both food and non-food products. Around 80% of soy is used as animal feed - making it a hidden ingredient in many animal-based foods. The UK imports over 3 million tonnes annually, and 77% comes from high-risk deforestation regions like Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. This has driven significant habitat loss in critical ecosystems such as the Amazon and Cerrado.

As a responsible UK retailer, we recognise these environmental challenges linked to soy production. We aim to reduce our impact on nature and are committed to sourcing sustainable soy in a way that protects forests, respects local communities, and supports sustainable farming practices.

Our Commitment

At Lidl GB, we're committed to sourcing 100% of our critical raw materials from verified sustainable sources. In 2021, we set a clear goal: to source soy for our own-brand products from Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) sources by 2025, using a cut-off date of 2020. While we have made significant progress, the UK market's collective efforts have not yet been enough to meet this target. Delays in the implementation of deforestation-free regulations have slowed the wider market transition.

Our commitment is aligned with the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) principles, and we follow their definition for DCF supply chains.

We are working closely with industry to develop new strategies for sourcing DCF soy in 2026 and beyond. Meanwhile, we continue to uphold our core commitments:

1. Source responsibly

We are committed to sourcing all soy used in our own-brand food and non-food products from verified deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) sources.

2. Improve transparency

We're increasing visibility of soy used across our own-brand supply chains, helping customers understand where and how soy is used.

3. Drive industry change

We're collaborating with suppliers and industry partners to support sustainable practices and drive positive change across soy supply chains - both nationally and across the sector.

Our approach

We are committed to protecting forests because of the critical role they play in climate regulation and storing billions of tonnes of carbon annually.

1. Sourcing Sustainable Soy

From 2018–2023, Lidl covered 100% of its soy footprint through Roundtable for Responsible Soy (RTRS) certificates under the Book & Claim model. While this supports sustainable production, it lacks physical traceability and does not meet the upcoming requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

In 2021, Lidl GB became a founding signatory of the UK Soy Manifesto, committing to physically traceable, verified deforestation- and conversion-free (vDCF) soy. We are working toward sourcing vDCF soy across all own-brand products, including direct and embedded soy.

More details on how we source can be found in our Deforestation Policy, including accepted certifications and supplier requirements.

2. Increasing transparency of soy within our supply chains

At Lidl, we believe that transparency is the first step toward sustainability. By increasing visibility across our soy supply chain, we can better understand where our soy comes from, how it's produced, and the impact it has on people and the planet.

Through collaboration, traceability, and data-driven action, we’re working to ensure that all soy used in our supply chain—whether directly or indirectly—is sourced in a way that protects nature and supports resilient farming communities.

3. Collaborating with industry

We recognise that collaborating with industry will help us achieve system-wide transformational change that the soy industry requires. We are part of various industry initiatives:

Retail Soy Group

UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soy

UK Soy Manifesto

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Round Table on Responsible Soy

Donau Soja

Signatory of Support to the Cerrado Manifesto

Reducing soy within our supply chain

Over 80% of Lidl GB’s soy footprint comes from animal feed used in producing poultry, pork, dairy, and eggs. Reducing soy use helps lower our environmental impact and supports global efforts to protect forests and biodiversity.

Promoting Sustainable Diets

Reducing soy isn’t just about feed—it’s also about changing consumption patterns. With most soy embedded in animal products, supporting shifts towards higher plant-based intakes can make a real difference.

Lidl GB is proud to be the first UK retailer to align with EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet, driving a shift towards an increased consumption of plant-based foods including fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and plant-based proteins.

Read more on our Healthy & Sustainable Diets page →

Our progress

As part of our soy strategy and commitment to transparency, we publicly report our soy footprint every year. We work closely with independent sustainability experts and our suppliers to gather data on the amount of soy used in the Lidl GB supply chain, its certification status, and the countries of origin. This annual process is vital in helping us understand our supply chain and drive continuous improvements across our sourcing.

Our Footprint	2021	2022
Soy Footprint (tonnes)¹	114,522	140,997
% of footprint that is verified deforestation and conversion free (vDCF)²	12%	18%
% of footprint that is covered by certification3	100%	100%

% of where the soy in our supply chain is sourced from	2021	2022
Europe	0.04%	0.00%
Argentina	0.25%	0.85%
Brazil	23.45%	22.65%
USA	0.60%	0.00%
India	0.58%	0.19%
Multi-origin (incl. South America) and origin not disclosed	75.08%	76.31%

Supplier Engagement	2021	2022
% of our suppliers in scope with a deforestation policy for soy in place or in development	32%	65%
% of our suppliers in scope with an action plan to achieving deforestation free soy	15%	19%
% of our soy volume covered by UK Soy Manifesto signatories	56%	58%
% of our suppliers in scope that have been contacted to implement UK Soy Manifesto requirements	24%	35%

_{¹Footprint covers Lidl GB suppliers}

_{²Defined as soy that can be shown at the point of import to the UK to be legally produced and not linked to deforestation or conversion of land with a cut-off date latest January 2020}

_{³Certifications schemes including Cargill Triple S, CRS (area mass balance and credits), ADM responsible Soybean Standard v2, Proterra (mass balance and segregated), RTRS (mass balance, regional mass balance and credits), VLOG, ISCC Plus, USSAP}

_{⁴There is more work to be done to understand the origin of the soy in our supply chain. We are working with our suppliers towards reporting this data more precisely}

_{⁵The supplier engagement programme is only applicable to Lidl GB suppliers that are in scope of the soy data collection}

_{⁶We are currently working on a 2023 communication plan for our suppliers}

Please note: We are currently in the process of updating our latest soy data. Our updated progress report will be published here shortly - please check back soon for the most recent figures.

Our policies and reports

Deforestation policy - here.

Sustainability report (2023/24) - here.

Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing