Deforestation-free’ beef exports arrive

Beef giant Argentina is changing its game, introducing a new certification scheme that guarantees its European Union meat exports come from sustainable sources free from deforestation.

Argentina is already destined to export about 50,000 tonnes of beef annually to the EU, which accounts for 7 percent of its total beef exports worth around $500 million. China is its No. 1 beef market, taking in 80 percent of exports.

But new food-import regulations imposed by the EU to increase sustainability has encouraged Argentina to look ahead and offer the new certification scheme for beef. According to officials the country is one of the first beef-exporting countries to carry out a risk analysis – and ensure traceability and certification of one of its main export products.

During an event in Brussels at the Argentine Ambassador’s EU residence, the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute introduced the new compliant-certification scheme. The new scheme complies with the EU requirements integrated into the VISEC platform – Sectoral Vision Gran Chaco. The innovative tool, developed to ensure the traceability and certification of deforestation-free products and involving the entire cattle chain, guarantees that shipments to European markets will come from non-deforested livestock establishments. It ensures compliance with the EU Regulation 2023/1115 that was approved in mid-2023; it comes into force as of Dec. 30.

Adrian Bifaretti of the El Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina said, “Since 2023 the Argentine livestock and meat chain has been working to comply with the EU regulation 2023/1115. Activities included meetings with EU representatives in Argentina and Mercosur. The work was consolidated in VISEC Carne with participation from entities of ranchers, consignors, transporters and the meatpacking industry.

“VISEC establishes a joint strategy to comply with the (Regulation on Deforestation Free Products) and evaluates independent third parties to ensure compliance with the new regulation through certification.”

Bearing sustainability goals in mind, Argentina has always asserted that the agri-bio industrial sector is part of the solution to global problems – and that any measures must be scientifically based and adapted to local realities. In that regard Argentina officials say the new regulation, being a unilateral and autonomous measure implemented by the EU, will not affect normal trade flows to the market – and will not become a barrier to access from its full implementation as of Jan. 1, 2025.

First certified beef arrives

In order to test the viability of the system, Argentina has already exported the first pilot test, shipping 1.4 tonnes of certified deforestation-free beef to Germany. That’s in addition to pilot tests with soy, another of Argentina’s export products that must comply with the new legislation.

Gerardo Leotta of the Consortium of Argentine Meat Exporters, said, “VISEC Carnes ensures traceability from the origin of bovine livestock, including breeding and fattening stages, through the entire commercialization process, up to processing and export to the EU. This guarantees that the sources are deforestation-free, and comply with relevant local and international laws.