#Brazil #São Paulo #Traceability #JBS #Pará

JBS's Commitment to Livestock Traceability in Pará

In a groundbreaking initiative, JBS has announced an investment exceeding $7 million aimed at enhancing livestock traceability and supporting small-scale farmers in Pará. This strategic move is part of a state program intended to ensure that all cattle and buffalo herds in the region are traceable by the end of 2026.

The company's commitment was showcased during the recent "Expedition to the Sustainable Market for Meat and Leather" event, organized by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) Brazil. This event highlighted the coalition formed between the government, producers, civil society, and industry stakeholders to bolster agricultural sustainability and ethical livestock management in Pará.

As part of their comprehensive efforts, JBS has allocated $5 million to its Traceability Accelerator Program, which aims to promote the adoption of animal identification tags among indirect suppliers. This includes a significant donation of 2 million ear tags to local producers and 175 scanners to the Pará State Agricultural Defense Agency (Adepará).

The Accelerated Program is currently being implemented in southeastern Pará, specifically in the area between Marabá and Santana do Araguaia. Teams from JBS, in collaboration with partner organizations, are conducting field visits to understand and support local farms, working closely with certified traceability operators from the state.

The donated scanners play a crucial role by recording data from individual animal identification tags, enabling comprehensive tracking of livestock throughout Pará, which is home to Brazil's second-largest cattle herd. Fábio Dias, JBS's Sustainable Livestock Director, emphasized during the event that their efforts are tailored to bolster the state program by supporting both direct and indirect suppliers. It is anticipated that the initiative can lead to up to 2 million tags being utilized for livestock traceability. "This phase is critical in overcoming challenges and testing large-scale traceability tools and solutions," said Dias.

In collaboration with Adepará and TNC, JBS's Traceability Accelerator Program is set to expand its operations into other regions of the state, including Southwest Pará (Altamira, Anapu, and Pacajá), Lower Amazon (Belterra and Santarém), and the Marajó region. There is also keen interest in replicating this successful traceability model in other Brazilian states.

Moreover, JBS has invested significantly in Pará since 2021, contributing $2 million towards the Green Offices initiative that provides free and specialized support for environmental regulations on rural properties, focusing especially on small producers. The primary objective of these Green Offices is to guide farmers from registration to validation in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), facilitate adherence to the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) when applicable, assist in lifting embargoes, and help non-compliant producers restore their commercial status.

These offices also connect producers with reconversion programs such as SIRFLOR and Reconecta in Pará. JBS operates four physical offices in southeastern Pará (located in Santana do Araguaia, Redenção, Tucumã, and Marabá) to drive regulation through the Sustainable Territories Platform (PTS) in conjunction with the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS).

Since launching the Green Offices program in 2021, JBS has achieved remarkable results, with 18,042 farms now compliant and 7,005 hectares undergoing environmental restoration. This signifies a substantial step toward a more sustainable and ethically responsible livestock production framework in Pará, reinforcing JBS's commitment to preserving both the environment and the livelihoods of small producers in the region.