Implementation and continuous improvement
Case study: Marfrig
Q: What actions are you undertaking to decouple
your supply chain from deforestation?
Marfrig have implemented a deforestation monitoring system for our cattle suppliers in the Amazon biome.
Through that, we are able to know if any deforestation took place within our suppliers’ farm boundaries,
removing from our sourcing those who have deforested from 2009 onwards. We have more than 7000 suppliers
monitored in the region, making up around 15 million hectares of monitored area. Our monitoring systems
have blocked more than 2000 suppliers due to new deforestation and encroachment into indigenous land
and conservation units.
Marfrig uses INPE Brazil’s National Institute of Spatial Research deforestation data to monitor each farm: if
any deforestation polygon is found on a supplier´s farm, animals are not purchased. Apart from this geospatial
monitoring system, we also check Brazil’s Environmental Agency blacklist, using each farmer´s social security
number, which is blocked, if their name is on the list.
Q: How important is establishing traceability for
acting on your targets?
Traceability is key for our business. As we are the link between ield and consumer markets, traceability is very
important for our process, considering both sanitary aspects diseases, vaccines and socio environmental
aspects deforestation, forced labor.
Marfrig understands traceability as a vital effort and a way for the company to differentiate its work, showing
consumers the product story, relating food security to social and environmental management throughout its
value chain, promoting sustainable development and providing a stimulus to local communities.
Q: What work have you done to improve
visibility along your supply chain?
Marfrig have a team of technicians working closely with ranchers, through our Marfrig Club Program. We
visit farms, collect relevant information and provide knowledge on market demands and government
compliance documents, such as environmental licensing CAR, which is a farm management tool based on the
New Forest Code.
The Marfrig Club Program promotes best practice tools for livestock production and has been contributing
on information sharing and technical assistance over different production regions, as the main contact
channel between industry and producer.
Q: How are you engaging and working with your
