Programs
ProTerra Program for Sustainable Farm Production
Cert ID has developed the ProTerra certification, establishing standards for Ethics, Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability, with elements of traceability and continuous improvement, using the Basel Criteria as basis for the responsible production of soybeans.
The ProTerra Certification is applied to the production of soybeans and its products in Brazil and includes Law Compliance and Social Responsibility, Environmental and Technical Management, Traceability and Continuous Improvement.
Cert ID
Established in 1998, Cert ID is acknowledged all over the world as a leader in Non-GMO Identity Preservation Programs. The certifier serves a high number of agricultural feed and food companies, offering independent audits and inspections, Non-GMO and Social and Environmental Responsibility Certification, among others. Cert ID's Quality System complies with the EN 45011 and ISO 65 norms.
Program for Non-GMO Soybean Products with Preserved Identity
IMCOPA keeps a program to monitor the entire production chain, allowing the secure offering of non-GMO soybean products to the market.
The term ''Preserved Identity'' is used to describe the methodology adopted by IMCOPA that starts on the control of the seeds bought by soybean-supplying cooperatives, and is extended up to the delivery of the products to the clients.
The monitoring program requires considerable investments in human resources and technology to carry out sampling and laboratory analysis plans.
Quick tests kits, based on the immunochromatographic principle of detection of the modified protein, are used to control the production on the farm and on the reception of the soybeans at the cooperative warehouses and at IMCOPA's production units.
During the processing at IMCOPA's units, samples from homogeneous soybeans and all byproducts are taken and sent to laboratories authorized by Cert-ID, where quantitative analysis of modified GMO are conducted by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique, with the goal of guaranteeing that there is no GMO presence above 0.1%. The lots of produced goods are also analyzed by the PCR technique.
The set of PCR analysis data and certificates assuring that IMCOPA's products do not contain more than the limit of GMOs, from the raw material origin, storage and down to the delivery to the client is part of the Identity Certifications and traceability documents' set of the commercial lots.
Environmental Impact Reduction Program
IMCOPA uses renewable natural raw material sources that is turned into also natural products used in human and animal nutrition and in the cosmetic and biofuel industries.
The soybeans producers are instructed to respect ProTerra's Certification principles. IMCOPA was the first soybean crushing company with this certification and, to keep it, both the company and its suppliers are committed to use resources in a sustainable way, respecting farm workers rights, minimizing water waste, avoiding inappropriate use of fertilizers and agrochemicals, with the commitment to not cause environmental damages, such as deforestations.
It is from the ground that IMCOPA's raw material comes from. Its duty is, thus, to preserve it, assuring the continuity and sustainability of all production chain. IMCOPA understands that this is the best way to contribute towards the maintenance of the business and to ensure environmental quality.
Imcopa is also developing educational actions to raise the conservation awareness of its employees, adopting non-waste, safe production technologies, and ensuring a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels for energy production.
Liquid effluents are returned to nature after treatment in plants with state-of-the-art technology under continuous monitoring by responsible laboratories and environmental agencies. The effluents are returned to the very same rivers from where the company took the water, but in an upstream location, meaning that the same water that was returned may be collected again by the company and serve to the production process.
Actions developed by IMCOPA to preserve the environment
• Selective garbage collection and Recycling
IMCOPA develops a specific collection system of recyclable material - paper, plastics, glass, metals, and organic residues.
The selective garbage collection within the company also works as an environmental education process, making employees and the local community aware of the problems caused by the waste of natural resources and pollution caused by garbage.
• Good Farming Production Practices
As a way to comply with the norms of the International Ethics Standard, Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability of the ProTerra certification, IMCOPA encourages good farm production and processing practices of its soybean suppliers.
• Partnership with the Araucaria City Hall
In a partnership with Araucaria's City Hall, IMCOPA separates office papers that will not be used again, for the production of school notebooks to be distributed to the students of the public education system. Source: Municipal Education Bureau - Araucaria.
• Alternative Fuel Production
Using soybean as raw material, IMCOPA makes the ethanol that is used in its industrial processes and also as fuel for its vehicle fleet. In the same way, the soybean molasses is used as fuel in the boilers.
IMCOPA's work health and safety structure and actions
Safety on the job is fundamental and IMCOPA's concern is always to offer safe, healthy conditions, developing actions that involve employee participation.
• Fire emergency plan and fire brigade with technical support from specialized companies and periodical internal and external training.
• Mobile medical units for employees during their working hours.
• Labor safety and medicine experts in all units for follow-up and technical visits.
• Incentive and acknowledgement program on incident reporting by employees, acting preventively against accidents.
• Continuous improvement on the labor environment and safety through constant investments.
Good Manufacturing Practices Program and HACCP
IMCOPA's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
The HACCP - system is a preventive approach to food safety, applied to products for human and animal nutrition.
The HACCP begins with a previous study of all stages of IMCOPA's business, from farm practices used by soybean producers, down to raw material transportation and finished products, storage and processing in industrial units.
The HACCP study is conducted by a multidisciplinary team with the ability and competence to identify dangers and hazards associated with each stage of the productive chain, to establish control limits and also to apply protection measures against such dangers, called Critical Control Points (CCP).
IMCOPA adopts the recommendations from Codex Alimentarius to set up the critical limits of the contamination of food products and the PDV for products used in animal feed.
The Critical Control Points are identified and the prevention and monitoring procedures are part of IMCOPA's Integrated Management System.
Recommendations of infrastructure and preventive moves against physical, chemical and biological contaminations are defined in IMCOPA's Good Manufacturing Practices Manual, which serves as a training basis for all Company employees.