Regardless of whether you consume beef or not, it is in everyone’s interest to know the exact origin of the protein. Around the world, the decision to eat animal meat or not involves price, religious and spiritual beliefs, convictions about animal welfare, and increasingly the concern about its origin and relationship with the planet’s climate.
And this is more than correct. To think that in the middle of 2022 we still do not have complete information on the origin of animal and plant-based products, provided in a transparent way by all producers and industries is, to say the least, frustrating.
In the specific case of beef produced in Brazil, part of the production chain is related to deforested and land grabbing areas. The lack of traceability and total transparency in this chain prevents us from being able to differentiate between producers who commit illegal acts and those who comply with the law. Likewise, it makes it difficult to identify those who adopt good pasture, feeding and slaughter management practices, reducing methane emissions — one of the gases that generate the greenhouse effect and climate change.
Although it is not yet a widespread debate in Brazil, the discussion is already a pulsating reality in some age groups, especially in generations Z and millennials. This fact brings opportunities that cannot be missed, either by the government in light of international zero-deforestation commitments recently assumed by the country at COP26, or by companies and investors to guarantee market and investment in innovations in the area.
Ignoring the relevance of this debate is a mistake, whether on the part of ranchers, investors or generations of consumers who still do not choose the products they buy based on the ethical conduct of companies.
Cattle ranchers who do not conform to good practices of sustainable production, and to strict legal compliance, can lose both the foreign and domestic markets, in addition to eventually finding themselves responsible for illicit practices that were never part of their business objectives.
Investors, in turn, not only fail to meet ESG metrics, but also miss out on investment opportunities in carbon-neutral producers and in innovations from companies that produce plant-based meat, and that develop meat in laboratories.
And consumers, finally, fail to exercise their power to encourage the efficient production of animal protein, with low environmental and climate impact, and to value producers aligned with the protection of nature.
The good news is that there is no shortage of good examples. Brazil already exports traceable, deforestation-free beef to the European Union and other markets that require it, and already has leading-edge producers who develop a sustainable livestock model, but who still compete unequally for market with their peers who do not comply with the law.
The year 2021 was full of public positions from large banks and investment funds on the subject, as well as commitments by large meatpackers to greater control over their suppliers, and announcements about their new investments in the plant-based meat market.
In the midst of false controversies, there is a real opportunity to boost the innovative capacity of Brazilian agribusiness. With commitments and practical examples, all links in the production chains – from the financier, the agro-industry, to the small producer, can direct investment towards sustainable, transparent practices and technologies in line with environmental regulations.
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