July 29, 2010
Brazil retorts negative Mercosur comments
In the wake of the pending EU-Mercosur trade deal, Otávio Hermont Cançado, the executive-director of ABIEC (Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters) has hit back at Irish and other agricultural organisations that have criticised Brazilian beef.
Since the resumption of the EU-Mercosur negotiations was announced, Brazilian beef has come under scrutiny from EU countries who believe that Brazilian beef is produced to a lower standard than that produced in the EU while repeatedly failing EU standards.
In fact, Brazil welcomed no fewer than seven Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) missions from 2009 to 2010. On its last visit the FVO acknowledged "significant advances by Brazil in the health area," Cançado said.
Michael Doran, National Livestock Committee Chairman of the Irish Farmers Association recently accused the EU of tolerating 'double standards' in its criteria for importing Brazilian beef. ABIEC points out that Irish beef has had 1,646 cases of mad cow disease since 1988, and almost 100 cases since 2006, whereas Brazil has never seen a case recorded.
Brazil's last outbreak of FMD was in 2005, in an area bordering on Paraguay. The states of Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo and Paraná were banned from exporting to Europe, and tight restrictions were placed on Brazilian exports from late 2007. On the other hand, the UK had outbreaks of FMD in 2007, but sale of British beef was, surprisingly, allowed within a few weeks.
In Hilton quota negotiations, Europe offered Brazil an extra contingent of 5,000 tonnes but it also imposed new rules for the quota, significantly hindering compliance with it. For example, the EU does not allow animals classifying for the Hilton quota in Brazil to be finished in feedlots, while American Hilton quota animals can be. Here, in fact, is an example of double standards, says ABIEC.
While Doran also highlighted the environmental costs of deforestation associated with an increase in Brazilian beef exports, ABIEC would like to point out that Brazil has broken records for the second year running in terms of a fall in deforestation, which is the result of improvements in inspection by the Brazilian authorities and private initiatives such as the monitoring by the slaughterhouse industry of its supply chain.
Cançado says that Brazil boasts the world's best tropical livestock technology, and has increased meat production by 227% in 30 years, while increasing the area used by only 4%.
It is no secret that the agricultural and livestock farming industries in Mercosur countries would benefit from greater trade freedom between the two continents. But the advantages would also accrue to both sides, Cançado said. The pact would allow crisis-hit Europeans would be able to put cheaper, top-quality foodstuffs and meat on their tables, and Europe could reduce its subsidies to production, mitigating its serious fiscal problems, he added.
