Hear
In what constitutes a key advance to position Argentina as a reliable reference in the export of beef, today the Institute for the Promotion of Argentine Beef (Ipcva) presented to importers, authorities of the European Commission (EC) and the EU Member States, in addition to the specialized international press, the development of a system that will allow compliance with the demands of that bloc that, From January 2025, it will not accept the entry of different products, including meat and soy, that have been generated in deforested areas after December 31, 2020. Europe represents a market of almost US$500 million.
The presentation, which places the country among the first to implement a risk analysis and ensure traceability and product certification, was held at the residence of the Argentine Embassy to the European Union, in Brussels. The system that will serve to comply with the EU requirement is integrated into the Visec platform (Gran Chaco Sector Vision), developed by the private sector. Visec, as reported, “ensures traceability and chain of custody from origin to export, with supervision and certification from independent third parties.”
The issue was mentioned this morning by the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, in his usual conference: “This is an example of the successful work of the private sector, articulated with the public sector. Argentina is one of the first countries to present the plan that will allow it to maintain the European Union market. This market revolves around 49,300 tons per year, which represents close to US$490 million annually.”
“This effort has the support of the EU Al Invest Verde Program, reinforcing international collaboration for more sustainable agricultural production,” they said from the Ipcva. “Certificates are issued confirming the sustainable origin of the meat and leather, using georeferenced technology for greater precision and reliability. For each shipment of beef to the European Union, a Deforestation Free Product Certificate (CLD) will be issued as evidence that the biomass meets the requirements established in European regulations, backed in turn by a rigorous documentation and validation system. with Blockchain technology”, they added.
In addition to shipments of soybean meal that were made since the end of 2023, in the case of beef, Argentina recently carried out the first pilot test with a shipment of meat exported to Germany on May 15.
According to what the Ipcva said, at the opening of the event the Secretary of Bioeconomy of Argentina, Fernando Vilella, highlighted the differential attributes of Argentine production that are able to respond to new consumer demands linked to quality, nutrition and the environment.
“Based on its productive strengths, given by practices and innovations adopted during the last 30 years, Argentina is working to enhance and differentiate the characteristics of its production system, taking advantage of the opportunities of the international market by responding to the new demands of the consumers linked to quality, nutrition and the environment,” said the official.
“Public-private coordination is essential to achieve these objectives, since it allows us to generate innovations that incorporate, recognize and maximize differential value, quality and sustainability attributes in the productive chains and their derived products and services. As proven by work and measurements carried out, Argentina’s production systems are among the most efficient in the world, with the smallest carbon footprints. “Beef cattle farming in Argentina is a wonderful combination of green pastures, genetics of excellence and a culture of livestock production that turns our meat into a very valuable and different product,” he pointed.
Vilella indicated that The Deforestation-Free Chains Regulation was a “unilateral” decision of the EU, “which even today presents difficulties in its implementation and generates uncertainty in international trade.”
He clarified: “However, Argentina is one of the first beef exporting countries to implement and ensure the traceability and deforestation-free certification of one of its main export products, providing European operators with all the guarantees that our production is free of deforestation.”
Jorge Grimberg, president of the IPCVA, He stated that “through the new Visec Carnes system and its natural production characteristics, Argentina is consolidating itself as one of the leading countries in sustainable production.”
While, Mario Ravettino, vice president of the organization, pointed out that “compliance with this EU regulation is essential to maintain and develop the market that demands the highest value premium cuts.”
The organization highlighted that the carbon balance of Argentina’s livestock systems positions the country as a leader among the main meat exporters.
“Carbon capture in the Argentine grassland-based livestock sector offsets its greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, in Argentina there are no limitations on the availability of water. The profile of the water footprint of Argentine meat details that 99% of the water resources used for its production comes from rainwater and is recycled naturally and, except for some extreme weather events, irrigation is not required for livestock production. ”, they pointed out.
In this framework, the Ipcva announced the financing of a research project to present the Environmental Product Declaration of Argentine Beef. The objective is to provide importers and consumers in the European Union with the necessary guarantees of the comprehensive sustainability of the product.
“This project investigates (based on ISO standards) the environmental impacts of Argentine beef, prioritizing in this first stage of evaluation the indicators of global warming, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical formation of ozone, depletion of abiotic material, fuel resources and footprint. water,” explained Adrián Bifaretti, from the Ipcva, during his conference.
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