JBS Project Promotes Recovery of Area Equivalent to 2,000 Soccer Fields
The 20 units implemented by the company since 2021 focus not only on the regularization of rural properties but also on sharing more efficient and sustainable production techniques, as well as providing easy access to credit. To date, over 19 thousand farms have received assistance, with more than 7 thousand advancing in their socio-environmental compliance processes.
The executive's participation took place in a panel organized by the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil), during which the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) detailed the National Program for the Conversion of Degraded Pastures into Sustainable Agricultural and Forestry Production Systems (PNCPD). Officially launched on December 6, the project aims to recover and convert up to 40 million hectares of degraded pastures into arable areas within ten years, potentially doubling the country's food production area. Signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Federal Decree 11,815 will represent investment opportunities of up to US$120 billion. The estimated cost ranges from US$1,500 to US$3,000 per hectare for pasture recovery, including initiatives focused on soil correction, acquisition of modern machinery, implementation of environmentally responsible agricultural systems, and support for operational expenses.
"This is an agenda we have been pursuing within our chain: not only regularization but also providing technical and financial assistance to producers to combine production and sustainability", said Liège Correia on the occasion. In the executive's view, all actors, including those in the financial sector, need to open up more lines of credit so that small farmers can promote the sustainable conversion of their lands. The Company has advocated during COP for the role that Brazil can play in addressing the challenge of feeding the growing global population and, at the same time, mitigating climate change.
In the Apex panel, representatives of the Brazilian government also emphasized the importance of joint action to achieve the goals proposed by the program. "It is important to highlight the robustness of this initiative, which is part of the new Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). Of course, the government will not bear all these resources alone. We will build partnerships with international funds and the private sector, with the aim of becoming the world's largest food supplier by the end of the process", assured Mapa's Secretary of Commerce and International Relations, Roberto Serroni Perosa.
According to him, in the last 50 years, Brazil has achieved a 140% increase in planted area and a 580% increase in productivity. "The result of much dedication, not only from farmers but from the entire chain. We have grown, but we have grown thanks to technology and innovation. Now we will double our production without deforesting anything, without removing a single tree. Because degraded pasture emits greenhouse gases (GHG), but with proper management, these emissions can be reduced. But the producer will only do this if he has financial conditions", he said.
Perosa also highlighted the creation of a committee led by Mapa, bringing together 12 ministries, state-owned companies, and banks to develop the program. "After all, if we intend to double national production, we need to develop means to be able to distribute this production. Embrapa, for example, has already received nearly R$2 billion this year for development projects," he said.
Jorge Gildi, a sustainable finance expert at Banco do Brasil, presented figures in the Apex panel on how the institution can stimulate the sector to achieve the government's goal of doubling food production in the country in 10 years. "We already have R$200 billion in our portfolio for investments until 2030. Our portfolio of sustainability-related products reaches R$338 billion. Last year, for example, we entered into a partnership with the World Bank to allocate over US$500 million in credit and funds for the carbon market. We will leverage this with our own resources and reach US$1.9 billion in projects that could make Brazil a player in this market", said Gildi. According to him, Banco do Brasil has already identified 170 thousand farms today with the possibility of implementing the strategy developed by the government. "We are talking about restoring the entire agro infrastructure. Banco do Brasil, for example, has already hired 200 agronomists who are providing nearly two thousand technical assistance visits throughout the country", he said.
During the panel, Correia also mentioned the company's initiatives in Pará. On December 1st, JBS announced an investment of R$ 43.3 million over the next 3 years to enhance the transparency and traceability of the cattle chain in Pará, supporting small-scale producers with environmental regularization programs and the adoption of regenerative practices and agroforestry systems. The company also leads the pilot project aiming to implement an individual cattle traceability system in the state. On the same day, the company became a signatory of the First Movers Coalition for Food. Led by the World Economic Forum, with the support of the Government of the United Arab Emirates and 19 other companies, the initiative aims to accelerate methods, agricultural technologies, and sustainable production, driving the global development of low-carbon agricultural products.
Recently, a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) demonstrated how increasing productivity in livestock farming can benefit the fight against climate change. According to the study, reducing animal protein consumption only reduces 1% of annual livestock emissions. However, with increased productivity and proper management of these pasture and production areas, a fivefold impact on emission reduction can be achieved.
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