China to require full traceability for Brazilian beef

China, the main destination market for Brazilian beef, has signaled it will soon require full traceability for these imports. The announcement was made by the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC) recently.

An important step

Cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, with approximately 80% of cleared land in the Brazilian Amazon being converted into pasture. China’s signal is an important step to achieve greater transparency in the beef supply chain.

Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) has been an advisor to Chinese stakeholders for the past years to reduce the risk of importing beef that has contributed to deforestation. Therefore, we are optimistic about the announcement. We also congratulate the Global Environmental Institute (GEI) for its active role in the negotiations.

Deforestation-free requirements needed

The traceability protocol has yet to be established, and there have been no signals from China on requirements for deforestation-free beef so far.

"RFN underscores that China has not yet signaled a requirement for deforestation-free beef, only for full traceability. We urge Chinese and Brazilian negotiators to recognize the immense value of the Amazon biome and incorporate strong social and environmental requirements into the traceability protocol. Without these measures, the impact on biodiversity conservation and efforts to halt cattle-driven deforestation will be limited, " says José de Melo, Senior Cattle Supply Chain Adviser at Rainforest Foundation Norway.

Consumers willing to pay more

A study by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Getulio VargasFoundation, supported by the American NGO The Nature Conservancy, found that Chinese consumers would be willing to pay up to 22.5% more for Brazilian beef if it came with guarantees of being sourced from zero-deforestation areas.

Source: Valor International