Marfrig launches sustainable beef line

The meat processor Marfrig began sales of a new line of bovine products obtained from animals originating from sustainable properties, said the company in a statement on Wednesday (26).
The new line of carbon neutral beef, to be marketed under the Viva brand, will initially be distributed only in Brazil, according to Marfrig's Director of Sustainability and Communication, Paulo Pianez.
The initiative was developed in partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), the company said. It involves cattle raised on farms where methane emissions from animals are neutralized by the cultivation of forests or agricultural production, according to the statement.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, is a natural bioproduct of the digestion of cattle and other ruminants --much of it is released into the atmosphere by belching and breathing of animals.
"As consumers decode the carbon-neutral meat message, the product has enormous potential," Pianez said in a telephone interview.
Marfrig has a slaughter capacity of more than 31,800 head of cattle per day at its units in South america and North America, the statement said detailing the launch of the new product line.
At first, the company plans to manufacture viva brand products through the monthly slaughter of 300 to 400 animals from Santa Vergínia Agro in Mato Grosso do Sul, according to Pianez.
Over time, Marfrig could start obtaining cattle on other properties that meet the criteria for certification of carbon neutral meat, and potentially also sell the products in other countries, the executive said.
About R$ 10 million was invested in the launch of the Viva brand, including in research, property certification and brand construction, according to Marfrig.