July 20, 2020

Marfrig confirms commitment to sustainable development

Marfrig is a signatory to a public commitment launched in early July by companies in the industrial, agricultural and services sectors, the company announced.

The initiative was coordinated by the Brazilian Business Council on Sustainable Development (CEBDS), which is also a signatory to the commitment lodged at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília, Brazil.

In the document called "Comunicado do Setor Empresarial [Notice from the Business Sector]", 38 CEOs from major companies availed themselves to the Amazonia Council -- the federal agency with powers to propose regional public policies -- to contribute to solutions addressing the following fronts:

- Combatting illegal deforestation in Amazonia and Brazil's other biomes;

- Economic and social inclusion of local communities to help ensure the preservation of forests;

- Reducing environmental impacts from the use of natural resources through efficiency and productivity gains in the economic activities associated with their use;

- Incorporating into the business strategy the valuing and conservation of biodiversity;

- Adopting mechanisms for trading carbon credits;

- Financing and investing in the development of a circular and low-carbon economy;

- Incentivising the post-pandemic economic recovery based on a circular and low-carbon economy.

 "The current scenario, with all its challenges, presents an unprecedented opportunity to give greater scale and visibility to good business practices," said Marcos Molina, Marfrig's founder and CEO, who signed the document.

Molina added: "We must show that Brazil and its companies have total capacity to embrace a sustainable economy that fosters development without putting a risk our enormous environmental heritage."

Marfrig is the only animal protein producer to sign the public commitment, according to the company.

Marfrig's practices include banning the purchase of cattle from areas with illegal deforestation, indigenous reserves or environmental protection areas or from suppliers that adopt labor practices analogous to slavery.

Constant investments in monitoring are also made to support the company's environmental policy.

"We are dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of our production," said Molina. "We know that the perpetuity of our organiaation depends on it."

- Marfrig