TAC of the meat shows results in combating deforestation in the Amazon

An agreement involving the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the refrigeratic Brazilians helped reduce the participation of the beef industry in the logging in Amazonianaccording to audits from companies aimed at monitoring their own cattle purchases in six states.

The agreement, called meat TAC, requires that refrigerators audit their cattle purchases to determine whether animals are being raised in protected areas, illegally deforested or with other irregularities. The initiative does not cover indirect cattle suppliers, which remain a large part of the industry supply chain.

The data were presented by the prosecutors on Wednesday.

Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world, and has most of its flock in the Amazon, the largest and most biodiverse tropical forest in the world. Research shows that cattle breeding in the region is one of the main factors of deforestation.

Last year, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached 6,288 square kilometers, an area larger than the US state of Delaware. This was the lowest level since 2015.

Daniel Azeredo, one of the federal prosecutors who supervise the deal, said the data show that the initiative made major contributions to contain deforestation. Still, he added, animals raised on illegally deforested farms continue to enter the supply chains of companies through illegal schemes. He ordered a more rigorous monitoring of indirect cattle suppliers.

“We must recognize that there are still challenges,” he said.

Overall, 4% of the supply of Amazonian cattle of audited refrigerators as part of the agreement showed signs of irregularities between January and December 2022. But companies that did not audit purchases had a 52% non -compliance record. The disparity, according to federal prosecutors, demonstrates the positive impact of the agreement.

THE JBS (JBSS3)the largest refrigerator in the world, and rivals Minerva Foods (BEEF3) and Marfrig (MRFG3) hired independent auditors to monitor their cattle purchases, as well as several private beef refrigerators.

JBS cattle purchases reached 98.2% compliance with Mato Grosso, where there is the largest beef herd in Brazil, compared to 100% compliance with its two main competitors listed on the scholarship, according to the data presented by prosecutors.

In Pará, which houses the second largest cattle herd in Brazil, JBS presented 3% non-compliance with cattle purchases, a significant improvement compared to an audit of 2020, when it was found that 32% of its supply came from irregular farms.

In a statement, JBS has celebrated the results of the audit and said it is closer to its 100% compliance target.