Dedication to the
Planet

Introduction

Supply Chain Management

Climate Change

Energy Efficiency

Water and Effluents

Waste

Agriculture is a highly relevant component for the economies of South American countries, acting as a mechanism for local development for communities, in addition to contributing to the food security of the planet.

At Minerva Foods, we believe that it is possible to produce meat and its by-products in a sustainable and profitable way, reducing environmental impacts through investments and technical assistance to rural producers and sharing of technologies and scientific knowledge.

Key Indicators

100%

of direct suppliers monitored according to socio-environmental criteria in Brazil and Paraguay, more than 90% in Colombia, about 90% in Argentina and more than 20% in Uruguay.

34 million

of monitored hectares in Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay.

20,000

monitored supplier farms in Brazil, 4,000 in Paraguay, 5,000 in Argentina, 2,000 in Colombia and more than 600 in Uruguay.

More than 98%

compliance with the good practices defined by the Working Group of Indirect Suppliers (GTFI).

Our supply chain management systems are an industry highlight

Supply Chain Management

We are pioneers in expanding the adoption of geospatial technology for monitoring our direct cattle suppliers in all biomes in Brazil (Amazon, Cerrado, Pantanal and Atlantic Forest). In 2021, we also concluded the implementation of the monitoring system for 100% of purchases made in Paraguay, fulfilling one of the goals of our commitment to sustainability. We intend to expand the system to Colombia (by 2023), Uruguay (by 2025) and other South American countries where the Company operates by 2030.

Our Criteria

Environmental Compliance

– Action against illegal deforestation in Brazil and Paraguay;
– Verification of IBAMA’s list of environmental embargoes in Brazil.

Labor Compliance

– Fight against slave labor in Brazil and Paraguay.

Land Ownership Regularity

– Analysis of the Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) and other documentation verifying land ownership in Brazil.

Geospatial monitoring technology enables real-time status tracking of Minerva Foods’ direct suppliers.

Through this tool, we ensure that our products are not related to areas of illegal communities or environmental embargoes on traditional communities and conservation units and/or slave labor practices. The territories currently monitored total more than 32 million hectares in Brazil and Paraguay and more than 5 million hectares in Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay.

Our internal cattle purchase policy defines socio-environmental criteria in each country of operation, in line with the availability of official data and local legislation. Since 2020, our monitoring system also has a productivity index for 100% of cattle purchases made in the Amazon biome, in line with the Protocol for Monitoring Cattle Suppliers in the Amazon. Properties that exceed the limit of three heads per hectare per year must submit a declaration of productivity.

In yet another pioneering initiative in the industry, in 2021, we started to introduce the initiative in Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay, where we completed a geographical assessment, reviewed the local legislation, and were defined the socio-environmental criteria. There are already more than 20,000 farms monitored in Brazil, 4,000 in Paraguay, 6,000 in Argentina, 4,000 in Colombia and 600 in Uruguay.

In Brazil, our monitoring process undergoes an annual audit in which we continue to have the best performance of the industry according to the third-party audit conducted by the Public Prosecution Service of Pará, the main and most reliable socio-environmental verification agency.

The results showed that transactions carried out by Minerva Foods between July 2019 and June 2020, the evaluation period of the 2021 edition, totaled 78,990 animals purchased, 100% originating from properties that operate in accordance with all the criteria of the Term of Adjustment of Conduct (TAC) of Livestock with the Federal Public Ministry.

We also achieved 100% compliance at Minerva in the audits carried out under the Compromisso Público da Pecuária (Public Commitment to Livestock Farming), complying with the requirements of zero deforestation in the Amazon, overlaps with indigenous lands, conservation units, and slave labor and Ibama embargoes.

Audit Reports from the Federal Public Ministry of Pará

Report 2021 Download in PDF

Report 2020 Download in PDF

Report 2019 Download in PDF

Report 2018 Download in PDF

Audit Report of the Compromisso Público da Pecuária

Report 2021 Download in PDF

Report 2020 Download in PDF

Report 2019 Download in PDF

Minimum criteria for cattle acquisition Download em pdf

In Paraguay, our monitoring system is also audited by an independent third party to certify compliance with the socio-environmental criteria undertaken in cattle purchases. We have a 100% compliance rate, reinforcing our commitment to monitoring the supply chain.

Independent Audit Reports of Monitoring in Paraguay

Report 2021 Download in PDF

Report 2020 Download in PDF

Report de 2019 Download in PDF

Origination Calendar

Access the Calendar

Leather Traceability

Since 2019, traceability systems that guarantee the origin of the inputs used by Minerva Foods have been applied to related businesses. Minerva Leather, a business dedicated to the industrialization of leather, reached in 2021 the important mark of 100% of the leather sold in Brazil with identification, making it possible to access information from the farm to the slaughterhouse. In 2022, the division concluded the process of implementing the traceability seal in 100% of the hides produced in Paraguay. This seal guarantees that the origination of the product was done in a sustainable manner.

Focused on traceability, Minerva Leather also commercializes leather from animals raised on farms with organic certification. For this type of product, in addition to traceability, the customer is guaranteed Organic Certification. These farms have a complete breeding cycle, which guarantees that the animal was raised in accordance with Animal Welfare practices and social and environmental compliance.

PIONEERING THE MONITORING OF INDIRECT SUPPLIERS

The greatest challenge for the entire industry, monitoring indirect suppliers, demands not only investments in equipment, but also in the engagement of the entire chain to ensure the complete traceability of the cattle.

As a pioneer in the sector, we started to test and integrate a tool for tracking and monitoring indirect suppliers in the Brazilian Amazon, the Visipec, into our internal systems. The tool crosses public databases to monitor socio-environmental criteria of rural properties in their production cycle. It was developed by the National Wildlife Federation-NWF in partnership with the Gibbs-Land-Use and Environment Lab at Wisconsin-Madison University and is currently managed by the NWF.

See the timeline of the work carried out with Visipec and its results below.

May
2020
Jul
2020
Dec
2020
Mar
2021
May
2021
Jun
2021
Jun – Aug
2021
Sep – Dec
2021

Assessment Trials

May 2020
Signing of the Technical Partnership Agreement
Assessment Trials

Initial Trials¹ ² (monthly transaction samples)
Rolim de Moura (Rondônia)
- Background of Analysis:
  Transaction Period:
  
  Direct vs SIF: Aug/2018
  Indirect vs Direct: Aug/2018
  (one month sample)
- General Data:
  
  Total of directs: 911;
  Total of level 1 indirects: 723
  Average of indirect/direct: 0,8
- Protocol: GTFI Best Practices:
  100% of direct suppliers in compliance with Best Practices.
Mirassol d’Oeste (Mato Grosso)
- Background of Analysis:
  Transaction Period:
  
  Direct vs SIF: Jul-Aug/2018
  Indirect vs Direct: Jul-Aug/2018
  (two month sample).
- General Data:
  
  Total of directs: 685;
  Total of level 1 indirects 1: 1,732
  Average of indirect/direct: 2.5
- Protocol: GTFI Best Practices:
  99.9% of direct suppliers in compliance with Best Practices.
Assessment Trials

Initial Trials¹² (monthly transaction samples)
Mirassol d’Oeste (Mato Grosso)
- Background of Analysis:
  Transaction Period:
  
  Direct vs SIF:
  Oct/2018 (one month sample).
  Indirect vs Direct:
  Jun-Jul/2017 (two month sample).
- General Data:
  
  Total of directs: 144;
  Total of level 1 indirects 1: 378
  Average of indirect/direct: 2.6
- Protocol: GTI Best Practices: 99.3% of direct suppliers in compliance with Best Practices.
Assessment Trials (Year-long period of transactions)
Mirassol d’Oeste (Mato Grosso)
- Background of Analysis:
  Transaction Period:
  
  Direct vs SIF: Jan-Dec/2018 (one year).
  Indirect vs Direct:
  Aug/2016 – Jul/2017 (one year).
- General Data:
  
  Total of directs: 678
  Total of level 1 indirects: 4,033
  Average of indirect/direct: 5.9
- Protocol: GTFI Best Practices: 99.9% of direct suppliers in compliance with Best Practices.
Assessment Trials (Year-long period of transactions)
Live Cattle Exports (Pará)
- Background of Analysis:
  Transaction Period:
  
  Indirect vs Direct:
  Aug/2019 – Jul/2020 (one year)
- General Data:
  
  Total of directs: 130 (sample)
  Total of level 1 indirects: 1,787
  Average of indirect/direct: 13.7
- Protocol: GTFI Best Practices: 93% of direct suppliers in compliance with Best Practices.
Calibration

June 2021
Feedback for tool calibration based on the results of the tests that were carried out.
API Intergration

June to August 2021
Integration of Visipec into the Minerva Foods system, through the development of integration screens and analysis reports.

The states of the Amazon biome can be integrated into the Visipec tool, commencing with data queries for the state of Pará.
Practical Testing – Continuous Improvement

September to December 2021
Conducting practical tests with the actual integration, based on the available baseline information in the tool, and carrying out continuous improvements.

Map and monitor indirect suppliers, using the Good Practices-GTFI to identify possible risks in the supply chain.

Obtain information to positively highlight sustainable practices developed by rural producers and anticipate market demands.

Identify and prioritize risk regions and potential non-compliances to engage and support producers in corrective actions.

Improve traceability and monitoring of deforestation in the Amazon

Bring greater security and transparency in the relationships between the links in the Brazilian livestock supply chain.

Learn More:

Best Practices and GTFI:
gtﬁ.org.br

Visipec:
visipec.com

Technical Cooperation

SMGeo Prospec

Understanding that efforts to strengthen traceability in the chain must be collective, Minerva Foods launched the first mobile application aimed at rural producers that allows monitoring of their suppliers and enables socio-environmental analyzes for the entire agribusiness production chain.

Download the app here:

In partnership with the company Niceplanet Geotecnologia, which developed the application, we are now providing this tool to rural producers all over Brazil, giving them the ability to verify the compliance of their supply chain, through socio-environmental analysis, across the country.

The application is based on the same technology and database that ensures our expertise in traceability and our achievements in assessments and audits, and is now available to rural producers, so they can monitor their suppliers and map risks in their own business dealings.

Throughout 2022, we concentrated our efforts on training our direct suppliers on the importance of using the tool through workshops, field visits and sending guidance materials, with the aim of disseminating and raising awareness among producers about the importance of adopting the tool not only to mitigate risks, but also to add value to production, since it offers greater credibility and transparency.

Watch the SMGeo Prospec app launch webinar:

Discover our Youtube channel

Climate Change

Our commitment to combating climate change and protecting the ecosystems that support agricultural production is aligned with a low-emissions future.

Efforts related to mitigating emissions in the value chain are at the heart of our sustainability strategy and drive our transition to a low carbon economy.

Our Corporate Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) is updated annually, audited and made available in the Public Registry of Emissions of the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program. The document accounts for emissions from scopes 1, 2 and 3.

In 2022, we received the Gold Seal for the 2021 base year emissions inventory, maximum recognition from the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program for the complete reporting of data and their auditing by an independent third party. Our progress is also reported on the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Climate Change Questionnaire and related indicators are available in the ‘Indicator Hub’ section of this website.

Indicators Center

In 2021, we developed a study, together with a specialized consulting firm, to define our decarbonization plan, where our scope 1 and 2 emissions over the last few years were evaluated, as well as the emissions profile of the protein production sector. As a result, we defined emissions scenarios considering the Company’s operational and strategic perspectives, based on internationally recognized methodologies.

Efforts for mitigating emissions must be the main focus of the Company, offsetting only those emissions that cannot be eliminated.

The first projects should be implemented in the coming years and their impact on Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be measured in the future Corporate Inventories of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG).
As for scope 3 GHG emissions, originating from the value chain and for which Minerva Foods has indirect responsibility, a new study was initiated to determine the decarbonization plan for these emissions, with completion expected in 2022.

Low Carbon Production

Interested in building partnerships that encourage the implementation of good agricultural practices, we created the Renove Program, which seeks to engage rural producers by increasing their productivity and income from the implementation of regenerative practices. To ensure the proper implementation and maintenance of these good practices over time, the program is based on three essential components: Training, Green Finance and Technical and Institutional Partnerships. Since its creation, in 2021, the program has advanced on 3 fronts, two of which are dedicated to monitoring the carbon balance on supplier properties and the third, aimed at connecting ranchers to the differentiated performance of the green finance market.

MyCarbon – Carbon Market Opportunities

Voluntary carbon markets are an important instrument for achieving emission reduction targets that coincide with the Paris Agreement, opening opportunities for Minerva Foods and partner livestock ranchers. In 2021, we created the company MyCarbon, aimed at developing, acquiring and trading high quality carbon credits within agriculture, forestry, land use, and renewable energy projects in Latin America.

At MyCarbon, we provide support to producers, in partnership with the Renove Program, in the pursuit of best agricultural practices, contributing to the efficient use of natural resources and low-carbon production.

Minerva Biodiesel – Issuing of Decarbonization Credits

Our operation for the production of biodiesel from cattle slaughter byproducts, and other inputs such as soy, coconut and chicken fat, is certified to participate in the RenovaBio Program, which is part of the National Decarbonization Policy. As a result, the production began to generate Decarbonization Credits (CBios), which are sold to fuel distributors.

As such, we join a national movement for the reduction of GHG emissions, created by the Brazilian government within the commitment undertaken as a signatory country of the Paris Agreement.

Energy Efficiency

Our Energy Efficiency Program encompasses the control of consumption and monitoring of goals through technical indicators adapted to the context of each country in which we operate, taking into account their particularities regarding the composition of energy matrices.

We ensure that all the electricity that supplies our operations comes from renewable sources. We purchase renewable energy certificates, I-RECs, in all countries of operation, with the exception of Paraguay, where all energy used comes from renewable sources. We were the first company in the sector to attain this status, in 2020, and we will continue to carry out this strategy for 2022, in line with our goal of our Commitment to Sustainability.

Thus, in addition to offsetting scope 2 emissions resulting from the purchase of electricity, we promote the market for energy generated from renewable sources and with high performance in terms of sustainability. This commitment has earned Minerva Foods, for the second year in a row, the Renewable Energy Seal, issued by the Totum Institute in partnership with the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (ABEEólica) and the Brazilian Clean Energy Association (ABRAGEL). This seal also certifies that these energy generating plants maintain good social and relational practices with their communities.

The Bucaramanga units (Colombia) Colac and Sunshine (Australia), units are equipped with a solar power generation system, constituting a reference in energy efficiency in the Company. In addition, throughout 2022, we invested in the implementation of technologies related to industry 4.0 in our operations, with the aim of more efficiently managing the operation and performance of processes and indicators, including those related to energy efficiency.

Water and Effluents

The management of water resources in our facilities is a vital part of our production, which strives to further expand on practices such as water recycling, effluent treatment, and reductions in water consumption.

To increase water use efficiency, we have several initiatives geared towards process improvement and environmental awareness, such as: water capture and reuse projects; installation or replacement of equipment, such as pressure reducers in sanitation inlets and washing hoses. Environmental awareness and education are provided to employees and the surrounding communities, raising awareness of the importance that each person has contributing to water efficiency.

The use and treatment of water resources is in accordance with legal standards and with the licenses and permits obtained in all our operations.

Several investments are being made to improve the treatment systems, with highlight to the conclusion, in 2022, of the improvement works of the effluent treatment system with activated sludge technology at the José Bonifácio/SP unit, which will contribute to the reduction of methane emissions in the process, our main source of GHG emissions in scope 1. We are also investing in more sustainable methods of disposing of these effluents, such as fertigation systems.

In fertigation systems, the treated effluent is transported to neighboring rural properties where it is used for pasture irrigation. Among several environmental benefits are the preservation of water bodies and the decrease in the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers that emit greenhouse gases. In 2022, 37.7% of the volume of treated effluent, from Brazilian operations, was used in fertigation.

Waste

To manage the waste generated in our industrial operations, we maintain a Solid Waste Management Plan in all units with requirements for separation, control and disposal of the volumes generated, divided into the following categories: industrial, common, special/pathological and salvaged for recycling. Waste such as rumen and sludge from the WWTPs, the largest volume in our production process, are classified as non-hazardous and sent for composting.

The Eu Reciclo Seal

In 2022, once again, Minerva Foods received the EuReciclo seal, which certifies practices that promote reverse logistics for product packaging. Minerva Foods is the first company in the meat industry to receive certification for all lines marketed in Brazil, attesting to our commitment to compensate environmental impacts in the packaging of our products.

More than just a seal, the sustainability initiative connects cooperatives and collection and recycling operators with companies and generates more resources for recycling agents, promotes reverse logistics of post-consumption packaging and reduces the environmental impacts of waste in the environment.