Source: Anna Flavia Rochas, MEATINGPLACE, 6/13/16


JBS S.A. slaughtered Brazil's first cattle in May produced under new carbon neutral standards developed by public agricultural research company Embrapa, the world's largest beef processor said.

Cattle produced in an environment integrating livestock-forest or livestock-crop-forest may be qualified as “Carbon Neutral Beef,” under standards developed by Embrapa's beef cattle unit. Trees planted in areas where cattle are produced can neutralize greenhouse gases emitted by the livestock, according to the concept.

The “Carbon Neutral Beef” brand is already registered in Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), but it is pending negotiations with the public and private sectors to become an official seal.

JBS's first commercial cattle slaughter under Embrapa's new standards took place in Campo Grande, the capital of Brazil's center-west state of Mato Grosso do Sul. According to JBS, 95 percent of the carcasses qualify for the state's highest technical quality standards.

About 4.9 million acres of eucalyptus plantations in Brazil are immediately eligible to participate in the “Carbon Neutral Beef” program, said Cleber Soares, head of Embrapa Beef Cattle, according to a news release.

"This means that at least 500,000 animals can be produced per year for slaughter, with the possibility of reaching 1 million head," he said.

Methane emitted by cattle is one of the main greenhouse gases causing global warming. Embrapa's neutral carbon production concept may aid in Brazil's federal government commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions by 37 percent by 2025, and by 43 percent by 2030.

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