Commitment to Sustainability – Minerva Foods | Criando conexões entre pessoas, alimentos e natureza.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

  • At Minerva Foods, our Commitment to Sustainability is about doing business with integrity, transparency, and a sharp focus on the social and environmental impacts that matter to today’s markets. With operations across South America and Oceania, we’ve set clear goals to boost eco-efficiency in our facilities, tackle illegal deforestation in our supply chain, expand our Renove Program with partner ranches, and prioritize animal welfare.

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  • Our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035—15 years ahead of the Paris Agreement—sets us up to lead the industry in building sustainable solutions and cementing our global reputation as a sustainability leader.

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    Eco-Efficiency in Our Operations

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    Monitoring Illegal Deforestation in Our Supply Chain

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    Expanding the Renove Program with Partner Ranchers

Animal Welfare

Our commitment also includes advancing animal welfare practices and ongoing efforts at Minerva Foods.

We recognize animals as sentient beings and are dedicated to applying the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, as recommended by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), across our operations and supply chain.

 

Access:


Ícone Read Our Commitment in the Animal Welfare Report

Goals

  • In the table below, you can find our global targets and their latest status. Explore more detailed information about our progress and interim targets in the Measurement Hub

  • Eco-Efficiency in Our Operations

    Goals
    Status
    By 2030, reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity (tCO₂e/TPA) by 30% compared to 2020 for Scopes 1 and 2.

    Baseline:
    2020 emissions intensity = 0.20 tCO₂e/TPA
    In October 2024, Minerva Foods integrated 13 new operations in South America as part of our expansion. We calculated emissions for these assets through our annual inventory, including retroactive GHG emissions to ensure a transparent and efficient transition in climate management. In 2024, we refined our methodology for calculating TPA (Finished Product Tonnage) for more accurate intensity metrics. The TPA now covers the total products generated in industrial operations, including processed products and related businesses – such as Biodiesel, Casings, Leather and Ingredients -, whereas previously it only considered slaughter and deboning oriented production. With this change, the GHG emissions intensity values have been recalculated since 2020, ensuring comparability with the new methodological basis. With the inclusion of the new assets, the intensity of GHG emissions was 0.19 tCO2e/TPA.
    Maintain net-zero emissions for Scope 2 through market-based approaches by investing in and promoting renewable energy production.
    Since 2020, Minerva Foods has achieved net-zero Scope 2 emissions through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (I-REC). This not only offsets emissions from electricity use but also supports the renewable energy market. Through Minerva Energy, we acquired 98% of Irapuru II Energia to develop a solar energy self-production project, supplying nine industrial units in Brazil and advancing our decarbonization plan.

    Monitoring Illegal Deforestation in Our Supply Chain

    Goals
    Status
    In Brazil, maintain 100% monitoring of direct suppliers based on the socio-environmental criteria in our ‘Sourcing of Agricultural Commodities and Animal Products’ policy.

    Minerva Foods monitors 100% of direct suppliers across all Brazilian biomes using socio-environmental criteria. Our geomonitoring system audits consistently outperform industry peers.

    By 2030, extend socio-environmental monitoring to direct suppliers in other South American countries with operations.
    We’ve achieved 100% socio-environmental monitoring of direct suppliers in South America (Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay), meeting this goal six years early through investments in technology, strategic partnerships, and supply chain engagement.
    By December 2024, map production cycles (breeding, rearing, and fattening) for direct suppliers in all South American countries with operations.
    In 2024, 100% of direct supplier farms in South America had their production cycles mapped out. This initiative directly contributed to a deep understanding of the livestock value chain and to the development of solutions for achieving full traceability in each country where the company operates.
    By 2030, develop and implement a program to monitor indirect suppliers in South American countries with operations, based on our procurement policy’s socio-environmental criteria.

    The Company has established a policy with strict sustainability criteria for the procurement of agricultural commodities and livestock products. It also seeks to advance continuously in traceability and comprehensive socio-environmental monitoring of its supply chain, structured around three main pillars: Direct Suppliers, Indirect Suppliers, and Supplier Requalification and Reintegration.

    Under the Indirect Suppliers pillar, the protocols and tools under development are:

    • Protocol for Full Cycle Production Systems: defines control and management criteria for direct supplier farms with complete production systems (breeding, rearing, and fattening), through technical visits and the application of checklists to verify information and validate adopted practices.
    • Individual Traceability Protocol: aims to ensure traceability and socio-environmental compliance of animals purchased using official standard individual identification. The procedure is carried out by certifiers accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA), ensuring process impartiality. In 2024, more than 53,000 animals were slaughtered under this protocol.
    • Tier 1 Protocol: aims to guarantee raw material traceability and socio-environmental compliance up to the livestock operations of Tier 1 indirect suppliers.
    • SMGeo Prospec: a socio-environmental monitoring application developed by Niceplanet Geotecnologia with the support of Minerva Foods. The tool allows direct suppliers to monitor the socio-environmental compliance of their own supply chain free of charge. Additionally, we promote training and encourage participation in events to disseminate and facilitate use of the platform. By 2024, more than 1,100 suppliers had registered in the app, representing approximately 35% of the slaughter scale.
    • Visipec: applied in the Amazon region, this tool enables risk mapping in the cattle supply chain, contributing to greater control and transparency regarding indirect supplier farms.

    The program was completed in 2024, and implementation at origin is ongoing.

    Developing the Renove Program with Partner Ranchers

    Goals
    Status
    By 2030, source at least 50% of animals from ranch operations participating in the Renove Program.

    In 2024, we scaled up the Renove Program, driving decarbonization in agriculture with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Of animals slaughtered, 5.32% came from ranches certified under the Carbon Neutral protocol.

    See our progress:

    • Carbon Neutral Product Certification
      • Expanded to 16 new ranches in Brazil and 108 in Uruguay.
      • Certified industrial units in Mirassol d’Oeste (MT), Palmeiras de Goiás (GO), Araguaína (TO), and BPU in Durazno, Uruguay — totaling seven certified units.
      • Implemented emissions calculation tools aligned with the GHG Protocol for Agriculture and Livestock (WRI, 2015) and IPCC Guidelines (2019), enabling carbon footprint neutralization for certified ranches and industrial/logistical processes.
    • Strengthening Partnerships with Ranchers
      • Enhanced Renove Program strategies through training and technical assistance in:
        • Pasture planning and recovery;
        • Rotational grazing;
        • Integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ILPF);
        • Methane-reducing diets;
        • Genetic improvements to boost productivity.
    Ensure the use of internationally recognized, scientifically rigorous methodologies to measure the carbon footprint of participating ranches www.minervafoods.com in a system that is monitored, reported and verified, with support for the implementation of low-carbon practices.
    Farms participating in the Renove Program undergo a rigorous technical assessment to account for emissions across all stages of the beef production chain — from cattle raising to the transport of raw materials and industrial processing of animal protein. Each year, the program improves data collection, calculation tools, and emission validation, enhancing the credibility and transparency of the process. Emission calculations are aligned with the GHG Protocol for Agriculture and Land Use (WRI, 2015) and the IPCC Guidelines (2019), and are verified and certified by a third party. Farms receive support from the Renove Program’s technical team in identifying and implementing low-carbon practices.

    Animal Welfare:

    Applicable to all species in our value chain (cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish, and ingredients derived from milk and eggs:

    Global Goals
    Status
    By 2040, 80% of the global animal product chain will no longer utilize prophylactic and metaphylactic antibiotics.
    Currently, Minerva Foods has 66,5% of its supply chain mapped for animal welfare requirements. The goal is to reach 100% mapping by 2028 and implement all necessary adjustments to fully meet the target by 2040.
    Do not use cloned animals in the company’s global supply chain
    Do not use genetically modified animals in the company’s global supply chain
    Do not use growth hormones in the company’s global supply chain

    Minerva Foods’ Animal Welfare Policy expresses the Company’s position: the use of genetically modified or cloned animals, or animals that have been administered growth-promoting hormones, is not permitted in its supply chai. Policy expresses the Company .

    Reducing reliance on animal-sourced foods through waste reduction, improved raw material utilization, business focus realignment, protein diversification and product reformulation on a global scale.
    This is a recurring commitment by the Company. Minerva Foods has well-defined business strategies regarding the reduction of reliance on animal-sourced foods, which include waste reduction – such as through Minerva Biodiesel; improved raw material utilization – through Minerva Casings, Minerva Ingredients, and Minerva Leather; changes in business focus – through its Corporate Venture Capital initiative, investing in startups that promote businesses beyond the animal protein value chain, and through its subsidiary MyCarbon. Minerva Foods also invests in the production and commercialization of alternative protein products, offering soy-based milanesa and plant-based medallions in its portfolio.
    By 2023, to replace the ingredient egg in all (100%) traditional pâté lines by plant-based products ingredients (e.g., potato and cassava flour).
    Between 2022 and 2023, the Company conducted tests that enabled the reformulation of its traditional pâté line, replacing powdered egg with plant-based ingredients such as potato flour. In 2023, the substitution was completed, resulting in the complete removal of powdered egg from the formulation and a reduction of approximately 1 ton of the ingredient purchased that year.
    In 2023, Minerva Foods had 100% of its cattle slaughtering processes certified in animal welfare by the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) protocol , through unannounced audits. In addition, all sheep slaughter in Australia is certified by the Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS).
    Currently, Minerva Foods has 62% of its supply chain mapped for animal welfare requirements. The goal is to reach 100% mapping by 2028 and implement all necessary adjustments to fully meet the target by 2040.

    Specific targeted goals that encompass important topics for the well-being of animals present in our chain, such as:

    Species-Specific Goals
    Status
    We established 54 Animal Welfare targets, based on market best practices, recommendations from internationally recognized organizations, and benchmarking. The targets related to specific species are detailed in the Animal Welfare Report.
    We closed 2024 with 29 commitments achieved (53.7%). Details on the progress made regarding the commitments by species can be found in the Annual Animal Welfare Report available on the Company’s website: https://minervafoods.com/en/ESG-metrics-and-insights

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