The world’s leading expert in the area, the researcher has organized a number of debates on
the issue with producers, the industry and academics
Sao Paulo, July 24, 2018 – Intense, informative and productive. These are just a few of the main outcomes from Temple Grandin’s visit to Brazil from July 16-19, to hold discussions on best animal welfare practices across the animal protein production chain. Recognized worldwide as one of the leading experts in this area, Temple met with more than 1,200 people in Brazil, including farmers, producers, industry experts, specialists, academics and journalists, highlighting the need to increase commitment to this issue across the industry.
“Animal welfare is a reality in the animal protein production sector worldwide. Animals are sensitive and react to a number of outside factors, which it is why we need to offer them the best possible quality of life and try to reduce the stress levels they may face. This should be a concern throughout the production process, from breeding to slaughter, and companies need to ensure all their suppliers follow the same practices. This is what it means to be sustainable”, said Temple.
The researcher visited Brazil as a guest of JBS, Boehringer Ingelheim and Tortuga®, a DSM brand, in partnership with the Etiology Research and Study Group (ETCO), coordinated by Mateus Paranhos, a professor at the Paulista State University (UNESP) in Jaboticabal and the Master’s Program in Environmental Health at the FMU.
Brazil Agenda
In Brazil, the farm visited was the Orvalho das Flores, located in Araguaiana (MT) and owned by Carmen Martins Perez, who is chair of the Women’s Agribusiness Center (NFA) and one of Brazil’s biggest animal welfare influencers. During the visit on July 16, Temple evaluated the systems used for birthing and weaning procedures and taught farm staff “gentle handling” techniques for the cattle.
The following day, Temple met with a group of livestock breeders and production chain experts in the city of Sao Paulo to discuss the issue and share her life story and industry experiences. That evening, the researcher, who was diagnosed with autism in her childhood, met with over 400 parents and carers of autistic children. Temple herself had asked for this to be arranged so she could advise parents to focus on developing their children’s potential, providing them with challenging activities.
On the 18th, Temple gave two presentations during the Temple Grandin Workshop on Animal Welfare, looking at: “Animal welfare and society’s concerns” and “How production animals perceive and react to stressful situations”. The event was held at the Gamaro Theater and included presentations by Celso Funcia Lemme, who holds a doctorate in Management from the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro; Ricardo Izar Junior, federal deputy for the state of Sao Paulo; Daniel Boer, director of Strategic Animal Protein Supply at the Supply Chain and Sustainability Department of the McDonald’s Corporation; Arnaldo Eijsink, CEO at Agropecuária; Iran José de Oliveira, animal welfare professor at the Luiz de Queiroz Higher School of Agriculture, part of the University of São Paulo (USP); and Mateus Paranhos, a professor at the Paulista State University (UNESP) in Jaboticabal. 600 people attended the event.
Temple concluded her visit to Brazil meeting with the country’s top animal welfare research groups. In addition to contributing to animal welfare projects currently under way here, Temple also met with over 100 researchers – teachers and students – who presented their academic work.
About JBS
JBS is one of the world’s leading food industry companies with approximately 230 thousand employees in over 20 countries. The Company owns a portfolio of brands that are acknowledged for their excellence and innovation, including Friboi, Moy Park, Pilgrim’s Pride, Primo, Seara, Swift, Gold’n Plump and others, serving over 350,000 customers of more than 150 nationalities worldwide. The company’s focus on innovation also reflects its management approach to related businesses in areas such as leather, biodiesel, collagen, personal hygiene and cleaning products, natural wrappings, solid waste management solutions, metal packaging and transportation. JBS has adopted best sustainability practices throughout its value chain and constantly monitors its suppliers using satellite imagery, georeferenced maps of supplier farms and monitors official data from government agencies; the company also focuses on the highest possible food safety and quality standards. The success of JBS’s operations is closely tied to our Animal welfare practices, which are rigorously applied and have received an increasing share of investments to further improve the Company’s efforts in this area, in line with best practices.
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