June 15, 2012

Marfrig claims first to receive Rainforest Alliance certification

Marfrig Group claims to be the first meat processing company to receive Rainforest Alliance certification.

"This certificate will help to unite the farmer and the producer," said Marfrig CEO, James Cruden, in a news release. The company can now guarantee that all beef is produced with Amazon sustainability in mind, he added.

Cruden affirmed that it is possible to explore new export territories with this seal in hand.

"We can now compete on equal terms with Argentina and Uruguay, for example. [The certificate] can facilitate negotiations with Britain, France, Germany, Holland and Italy," he said.

The Brazilian firm's processing plant, based in Tangara da Serra, the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, is authorised to produce and market products with this certificate.

The Rainforest Alliance certifies 136 different social and environmental criteria in animal farms, from animal welfare to social conditions for employees and their families.