To build an increasingly sustainable supply chain that reconciles production and preservation on the farms, and which is aligned with its commitment for 2025 of tracking 100% of its raw materials. This is the objective of JBS in supporting the joint Rebanho Araguaia (Araguaia Herd) project with the Araguaia League. Highlighted in an article published last month by VEJA magazine, the project fosters the development of sustainable livestock farming in the Middle Araguaia Valley region located in the state of Mato Grosso, as is happening on the Orvalho das Flores Farm owned by Carmen Perez (photo).
Focused on sustainable intensification practices in beef cattle husbandry, primarily by recovering degraded pastures, as well as higher farm productivity, the project also supports the adoption of crop-livestock integration (CLI), environmental regularization of the properties, activities that promote a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and the conservation and restoration of forested areas such as APPs and Legal Reserves. Furthermore, the movement headed up by the Araguaia League aims to encourage the use of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms that add value to the region’s environmental assets under the regulations for financial offset instruments involving forestry and biodiversity assets.
“The Araguaia herd project demonstrates that, in practice, it is possible to have productive livestock farming that contributes to environmental preservation, in addition to helping develop new trackability and supplier relationship models”, Márcio Nappo, Sustainability director of JBS explains. “All these objectives are in line with the strategy of JBS to track its entire cattle supply chain by 2025, including the suppliers of our suppliers, as well as supporting the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code”, he adds.
The League’s technical team selects and organizes the livestock farmers, while JBS subsidizes the hiring of consultants specializing in property management to enhance intensification of pastures, ensuring higher productivity of the farms and thereby reducing the need to clear new areas and contributing to preserving local vegetation and biodiversity. As a result, the livestock farmers are in a better position to invest, increase their productivity indicators, enhance the quality of their animals and, principally, collaborate with sustainable production.
The NGO, Imaflora (Institute of Agricultural and Forest Management and Certification), Inttegra – the Institute of Farming Metrics and Ímpar – Agribusiness Consultants are the project’s strategic partners. The consultants deep-dive on the farms to gather data and indicators of production, sustainability and managerial metrics that are used to facilitate innovations within the industry, enhancing the action plans and management of these farms in addition to creating synergy in processes among the livestock farmers of the Araguaia League.
The JBS – Araguaia League partnership is strengthening sustainable beef production in the Cerrado region in response to the demands of key players in search of products with strong socioenvironmental responsibility, with attributes of quality and sustainability. The aim is to make the region, one of the country’s leading cattle producers, a global benchmark for good production practices and sustainability. Together, these livestock farmers are helping to preserve an area of more than 50,000 hectares of Legal Reserves and Areas of Permanent Preservation (APPs).
The second semester of 2020 saw the start of the first year of the three-year project, in partnership with JBS, with 13 farms participating in the League’s iniatives in the region. The producers were chosen for their efforts to adopt sustainable intensification practices and to increase productivity in beef cattle livestock farming. The expectation is that 10 new farms will sign up to the project this year, and a further 10 in 2022.