JBS's Over $7 Million Investment for Cattle Traceability in Pará
JBS's Investment in Pará
In a significant move aimed at improving the cattle industry in Pará, Brazil, JBS has committed over $7 million to traceability initiatives and support systems for small producers. This initiative is designed to ensure that by the end of 2026, the entire cattle and buffalo herd in Pará will be traceable, setting the stage for a more sustainable and responsible production process. The announcement came during the "Expedition to the Sustainable Meat and Leather Market of Pará" organized by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) Brazil.
This investment is part of a pioneering program that establishes a coalition involving the government, producers, civil society, and various industries. JBS has already allocated $5 million towards its Traceability Accelerator Program, which encourages the use of animal identification tags among its indirect suppliers. As part of the program, the company plans to donate 2 million ear tags and 175 readers to the Pará State Agricultural Defense Agency (Adepará).
The initial focus of the program is on Southeast Pará, specifically in the area between the municipalities of Marabá and Santana do Araguaia. JBS teams, along with partner organizations, are undertaking field visits to connect with local farms, ensuring that traceability operators are trained and accredited according to the standards set by the State of Pará. The donated readers will collect data from the animals' individual identification tags, allowing for better monitoring of cattle across this crucial region, which harbors Brazil's second-largest cattle herd.
Fábio Dias, JBS's Head of Sustainable Livestock, emphasized that these measures are vital for overcoming challenges in the sector and evaluating traceability solutions on a larger scale. "Our actions were designed to scale up the state program by supporting both direct and indirect suppliers, with the capacity to reach up to 2 million tags for herd traceability. This phase is crucial to overcoming bottlenecks and testing traceability tools and solutions at scale," he stated during the event.
The collaboration with Adepará and TNC has already established partnerships with companies involved in field operations. Future expansions are planned for additional regions of Pará, including the Southwest (Altamira, Anapu, and Pacajá), the Lower Amazon (Belterra and Santarém), and the Marajó area, with hopes to replicate this model in other states throughout Brazil.
In addition to the traceability efforts, JBS has allocated a substantial portion of its funds to its Green Offices in Pará. Since its launch in 2021, this program has garnered $2 million in investments. These offices are a resource for offering free and specialized support to ensure that rural properties meet environmental regulations, with a particular emphasis on assisting small producers. The main objectives of the Green Offices include helping producers navigate the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), facilitating compliance with the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA), lifting property embargoes, and reconnecting non-compliant producers to commercial markets. They also connect farmers to other requalification programs such as SIRFLOR and Reconecta in Pará.
Currently, JBS operates four offices across the Southeast region—situated in Santana do Araguaia, Redenção, Tucumã, and Marabá. The program partners with the State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS) to streamline the regularization process through the Sustainable Territories Platform (PTS). Since the launch of the JBS Green Offices program in 2021, 18,042 farms have successfully been regularized, with an additional 7,005 hectares undergoing forest restoration, marking a significant impact on the regional environmental landscape.
This investment by JBS not only supports small producers and promotes environmental sustainability but sets a benchmark for traceability in the livestock industry. As initiatives like these gain traction, they pave the way for more responsible and transparent agricultural practices that emphasize sustainability and community welfare.