Aligning productivity and sustainability is a goal for any business focused on its long-term growth. In this context, sustainable livestock farming represents a fundamental pillar for the future of Brazilian agribusiness.
By adopting practices that balance productivity with environmental preservation and animal welfare, the sector strengthens its competitiveness and ensures the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.
And there’s no better occasion than Livestock Day, celebrated on October 14, to showcase the direction Brazilian meat production is heading.
To delve into this topic, we spoke with Ana Doralina Menezes, president of the Brazilian Sustainable Livestock Table. Happy reading!
Brazilian Livestock: A Global Success!
Brazilian livestock farming is one of the most important sectors of our economy. The industry plays a major role in generating employment, income, and foreign exchange and is a significant exporter.
Here are some key figures:
- – Population of 238.6 million animals in 2023 (IBGE);
- – 34.06 million heads slaughtered;
- – Largest exporter;
- – Second-largest beef producer;
- – Third-largest milk producer;
- – Third-largest leather exporter in the world.
In addition to these impressive numbers, Brazilian livestock increasingly prioritizes sustainability, as emphasized by Ana Doralina Menezes.
“Our territory comprises 66.3% protected areas for native vegetation, with 33.2% dedicated to preservation on rural properties and 9.4% conservation areas.”
Furthermore, Brazil is an agro-environmental powerhouse! “We have the capacity to become the world’s largest generator of carbon credits. We can also recover over 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2035,” states the president of the Brazilian Sustainable Livestock Table.
Increasing Productivity with Sustainability
In simple terms, sustainability refers to a set of practices aimed at promoting economic growth and profitability without harming the environment or causing negative impacts in the medium and long term.
It’s about acting today with tomorrow in mind! This is exactly what many livestock farmers are doing, according to Ana Doralina.
“Advancements in technology, genetics, health, and pasture cultivation have led to a 150% increase in livestock production, while land use has only grown by 12% over the last 30 years,” she notes.
The expert points out that there are still many degraded pasture areas across the country waiting to be restored. “It’s possible to increase animal protein production in Brazil without cutting down a single tree.”
Over four decades, cattle farming has undergone a revolutionary modernization, driven by technological advances in production systems and improvements in the supply chain, with a clear impact on meat quality.
The herd has more than doubled, while pasture areas have barely expanded or even decreased in certain regions.
For Ana Doralina, the circular economy is a major ally of livestock farming. “With ILP and ILPF, for example, we can restore the soil. We should adopt crop rotation, alternating with livestock, which brings benefits from animal waste and pasture management.”
Pillars of Sustainable Livestock Farming
By definition, sustainable livestock farming involves the production, processing, and marketing of products with responsible technical, social, economic, and environmental standards.
It also encompasses best practices across various pillars—management, communities, workers, environment, and value chain—that influence every segment of livestock farming, including:
- Farmers;
- Industries;
- Input and service providers;
- Retailers and restaurants;
- Financial institutions; and
- Civil society.
To put Sustainable Livestock Farming into action, it is grounded in several key pillars:
- Management: Management tools measure livestock farming impacts, ensure legal compliance, and promote continuous improvement and sustainability in the sector.
- Communities: Sustainable livestock respects the rights, culture, traditions, and environment of local communities affected by its operations and promotes their economic and social development.
- Workers: This pillar ensures workers’ rights, union freedom, fair remuneration, safety, health, well-being, technical training, and professional development;
- Environment: Sustainable livestock farming promotes the conservation and efficient use of natural resources, identifying, preventing, and mitigating the impacts caused by resource utilization;
- Value Chain: The production, processing, and marketing of products intended for or sourced from the cattle value chain are conducted with responsible technical, social, economic, and environmental standards.
Key Practices in Sustainable Livestock Farming
By adopting practices that balance productivity with sustainability and animal welfare, the national livestock sector boosts its global competitiveness and ensures the preservation of natural resources for future generations.
But which practices are most effective? Drawing from her experience, Ana Coralina shares some insights. Here:
Animal Welfare
Applying appropriate techniques and tools in animal husbandry, while valuing life at every stage of the production chain, helps enhance productivity.
“The positive shift in recent years among producers toward best practices in animal health and welfare on farms is remarkable, but continuous improvement is essential for livestock farming to keep progressing sustainably,” says Ana.
More Efficient Land Use
Achieving livestock production with more efficient land use is crucial for improving sustainability and strengthening the value chain of Brazilian livestock farming.
According to the president of the Brazilian Livestock Table, efficient monitoring of production factors, including land use changes, is essential.
“The spread of knowledge, the adoption of best practices, and the pursuit of responsible use of information are vital steps in making livestock farming more responsible, ensuring environmental preservation, social welfare, and the economic viability of the sector.”
Low-Carbon Livestock Farming
Low-carbon livestock farming aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere.
This involves using technologies, processes, and practices that promote the mitigation or removal of carbon emissions compared to traditional systems.
According to Ana Doralina, sustainable livestock farming plays an essential role in this effort. “Agricultural and forestry activities are the only ones that, beyond emitting, can remove carbon from the atmosphere, making them crucial to any GHG mitigation strategy.”
Recovery of Degraded Pastures
As highlighted, Brazil has one of the greatest potentials for carbon sequestration through the restoration of its degraded pastures.
Revitalizing pastures boosts productivity and improves soil carbon sequestration, reducing carbon concentration in the atmosphere.
In this regard, the establishment of the National Program for the Conversion of Degraded Pastures is essential.
“It aims to recover up to 40 million hectares of low-productivity pastures into arable land over ten years, with the potential to double the country’s food production without needing to deforest additional areas of native vegetation,” Ana emphasizes.
Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration Systems (ILPF)
These systems allow for an expansion in national agricultural production without opening new areas.
The recovery of degraded pastures and the adoption of integrated systems, like ILPF, help prevent the conversion of new forest areas, sequester carbon in the soil, and improve production efficiency.
Reduction of the Production Cycle
By improving feed efficiency and management, it’s possible to reduce the time to slaughter, thereby decreasing the animals’ field time and overall emissions.
Technologies such as feed additives can also be used to reduce enteric fermentation.
Additionally, genetic improvement programs, balanced nutrition, and proper management are crucial to this process, resulting in more sustainable livestock farming.
How to Prove Sustainable Livestock Farming? Certifications and Seals Are Essential!
Proving sustainability in livestock farming is crucial for ensuring product credibility and consumer trust.
There are several ways to demonstrate this commitment. With the adoption of certifications and seals being one of the primary methods.
According to Ana Doralina, certifications and seals offer numerous benefits:
- Ensure that production meets quality and safety standards;
- Provide access to markets and add value to products;
- Support more ethical and environmentally sound practices;
- Guarantee product traceability;
- Encourage the adoption of more efficient and innovative technologies and practices.
“Certifications help producers stand out in an increasingly demanding market while assuring consumers that the meat was produced sustainably and in compliance with national laws,” says Ana.
Here are some seals, protocols, and certifications:
- – Angus Sustainability Seal
- – Meat Quality Selection Seal
- – Rainforest Alliance Certified (RAS)
- – Carbon Neutral Beef (CCN) – a concept brand developed by Embrapa
- – Sustainable and Organic Meat Program of the Pantanal
- – ABPO Sustainable Meat Protocol
- – Certified Humane Brazil
- – Sustainable Production Certification (FairFood)
- – PRIMI Protocol
- – Green Seal Brazil Program
- – Animal Welfare Approved (AWA)
- – Pasture-Raised Meat Seal
- – MAPA’s More Integrity Seal
- – Grassfed by AGW
- – Global GAP (Good Agricultural Practices)
- – Boi na Linha
Finally, it’s important to emphasize that Brazilian livestock farming is a strategic sector for the country, with significant growth and development potential.
However, to ensure the sector’s sustainability and meet market demands, investment in technology, better management practices, and public policies is essential to promote sustainable development in the industry.
