RTRS took part in a discussion organised by FGV about soy and meat exports between Brazil and China
On April 30, Luiza Bruscato, the Global Executive Director of the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS), participated in the seminar “Brazil / China: Soy and meat exports: Routes to sustainability”, organised by the Centre for Agribusiness Studies at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV Agro) in São Paulo. The primary objective was to discuss the prospects for exporting soy and meat between Brazil and China in a way that promotes the sustainable production of both products in Brazil.
At the start of the meeting, Professor Dr. Kevin Chen, Director of the International Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development, IAED, CAAS and Professor of the Qiushi Chair at Zhejiang University, presented an overview of meat and soy trade between Brazil and China and the current status of Brazilian supply and food security in China.
The soy panel was then attended by Marcelo Britto, Executive Secretary of Consórcio Amazônia Legal; André Nassar, Executive President of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE); and Álvaro Dilli, Director of Sustainability at SLC Agrícola (an RTRS certified producer and member of the Association since 2007). During the discussion Ms. Bruscato shared important data on RTRS certification, showing that the majority of certified soy in Brazil goes to the European market and that there is a considerable opportunity to expand China’s market share when it comes to purchasing credits or soy.
“China can be a key part of a major turning point for Brazilian RTRS certified soy, just as it was for Brazil’s meat production when China established the import rule for beef up to 30 months of age”, stated Ms. Bruscato at the panel.
As such, and on its path to sustainability, China is exploring ways to perform this transition, while also looking to become self-sustainable in food production. “This is a challenging scenario for organisations like ours, which offer certification that ensures that sustainable practices are applied in the field and that rural producers are remunerated for them”, said the Global Executive Director of RTRS.
The Association supports these meetings that generate new knowledge and promote collaborative work. “Our participation was a great opportunity to explore possible synergies to expand RTRS solutions in China through the sustainable production of soy produced and certified in Brazil”, concluded Ms. Bruscato.
The panel on meat featured considerations from industry players such as Fernando Sampaio, Executive Director of the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (ABIEC); Liege Correia, who discussed JBS’ meat traceability system; and Marina Guyot, Public Policy Manager, who spoke about Imaflora’s “Boi na Linha” Programme.
About FGV Agro
FGV Agro – the Centre for Agribusiness Studies at Fundação Getúlio Vargas – is a think tank that focuses on Brazilian agribusiness and its development. It aims to take part in the discussion of the agenda of public and private policies that may be pertinent to the sector, producing relevant knowledge for Brazilian society and supporting the initiatives of stakeholders in the public, private and third sectors.
