China, the main destination for Brazilian beef exports, has signaled that it will require full end-to-end traceability of the supply chain – from the animal’s birth – within the next few years.
This information was shared by the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) as the country prepares for the implementation of the EU’s anti-deforestation law, which is expected to be postponed to next year.
The requirement is already included in the trade protocols between Brazil and China but has not yet been strictly enforced by Chinese importers. During a recent technical visit to Brazil, however, Chinese officials emphasized their intent to do so.
According to Abiec’s traceability coordinator, Danielle Schneider, these changes are expected to occur over the next two years, with the establishment of specific traceability protocols.
“Unlike Europe, China isn’t yet requiring information on deforestation, only traceability. However, in doing so, we know that the next step will likely align with similar standards,” Schneider said at an event in Cuiabá, as reported by Globo Rural.
Peng Ren, project manager at the Chinese NGO Global Environmental Institute, shared that both countries will begin discussions on traceability solutions next month, with plans to start shipping 100% traceable beef as early as next year. “We’re at the beginning of this negotiation,” said Peng.
European Union
In the European Union, the Parliament is expected to vote this month to postpone the bloc’s anti-deforestation law, called EUDR, to 2025. It was initially scheduled to take effect on December 30.
The new rules will impose restrictions on the import of agricultural products originating from areas cleared after 2020, affecting the trade of wood derivatives, cocoa, coffee, soybeans, palm oil, beef, and rubber.
To comply with the law, Brazil’s beef industry plans to present the EU with a pilot traceability and monitoring project for its supply chain. This is aimed at ensuring the compliance of animals on farms already eligible to export to the region, meeting the bloc’s new environmental requirements.
Currently, Brazil follows a specific traceability protocol to export meat to the European bloc. Sisbov requires individual identification and monitoring of cattle at least 90 days before slaughter, with animals remaining on eligible properties during the last 40 days before being sent to the slaughterhouse. However, EUDR demands traceability from the animal’s birth.
Abiec’s proposal suggests that Animal Transit Guides (GTAs) be used to qualify animals up to 13 months old that were purchased by eligible properties for fattening, as younger cattle generally pass through only one farm before fattening.
“This doesn’t solve everything; not all properties can achieve this. But with the help of certifying bodies already in the process, it would be possible to trace back one step through the GTA, ensuring that the previous property where the animal was also meets deforestation criteria,” said Abiec’s Schneider.
According to the association, Brazil currently has 1,200 properties authorized to sell cattle for EU-bound beef, with a total inventory of 6 million animals.
About 5% of these properties would be ineligible under the new law, according to a survey by Serasa Experian. The evaluation considered territorial compliance, determining if deforestation occurred after December 2020, but traceability was not considered.