JBS expands coverage of the Social Biofuel Seal and expects to include a further 200 small producers

In four years, the Company has invested around R$ 5 million in technical assistance; the Program has already guaranteed income of R$ 120 million for producers

Supporting small cattle producers with free technical assistance, guaranteed purchase of the animals while contributing to the sustainability of the Brazilian energy matrix. This is the role of JBS within the Social Biofuel Seal Program, an initiative by the Department of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives (SAF) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Farming and Supply (Mapa). Since the early days of the integration of livestock farming with the Seal in 2015, the Company has already acquired over 110,000 animals from 437 properties in the 21 municipalities served by the program in the region of São Miguel do Guaporé (RO), in addition to investing around R$ 5 million in free technical assistance focused on efficient and responsible production.

“More than half of the animals acquired by JBS within the program have already been processed, which has guaranteed revenue of around R$ 120 million for the small livestock farmers involved. During this year, we want to add 200 new producers to the program and purchase a further 40,000 head in the state”, Alexandre Pereira, executive officer of JBS Biodiesel, explains.

From the moment the producer signs the agreement, JBS takes over the planning of the sanitary, breeding and nutritional aspects of the farm, in addition to handling issues like biosafety, sustainability and pasture improvement. “Rondônia’s production chain is mainly comprised of small producers, and the program has transformed these properties which have become increasingly professional and just as efficient as big farms”, Pereira adds.

The Social Biofuel Seal was offered exclusively to farmers to encourage them to develop and produce biodiesel from oil-based sources like soybean. As beef tallow, a byproduct of beef processing, is the second most important source of raw materials for biodiesel production in Brazil, the inclusion of the livestock farming chain in the National Program for the Production and Use of Biodiesel (PNPB) could provide a bigger stimulus to the economy.

Sustainable biodiesel from the source
Among the materials comprising the free technical assistance provided to small producers that have joined the program is sustainability, whose topics were enhanced last year.

The Company has included in the scope guidance on shade using reforestation trees, a technique that fosters better animal wellbeing – and, as a result, better quality beef -while also enabling the property to capture carbon and provide the producer with extra income from the production of nuts and the sale of sustainable timber and firewood.

On farms where it is possible, the Company also provides support for the implementation of Crop, Livestock Farming and Planted Forest Integration (local acronym, ILPF), like planting of corn, for example, which can be used both for animal feed and to help in recovering degraded areas. Furthermore, in response to a public policy of the state of Rondônia, JBS is also encouraging the cultivation of capineira BRS Capiaçu (a clone of elephant grass) on the farms, transporting seedlings and providing guidance, which besides high productivity is also highly nutritional, and can be used as a feed supplement for the animals during drought periods.

“When we begin working with small livestock farmers, we also cover issues like protecting the biome, preservation of water reserves and springs, among others. The productivity we have achieved on these properties is 100% connected with sustainable intensification of land use”, Alexandre Pereira asserts.

According to SAF data, one can see that the environmental aspect of biodiesel is highly significant and goes beyond the economic inclusion of family farming. In 2019 alone, of the 54 billion liters of diesel produced or imported by Brazil, 6 billion liters of biodiesel were incorporated. Since biodiesel emits approximately 70% fewer greenhouse gases in relation to fossil-based diesel, this enabled Brazil to avoid pumping around 11 million tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

JBS Biodiesel runs two biodiesel plants with the Social Biofuel Seal, in Lins (SP), and Campo Verde (MT), with total authorized annual capacity of around 350 million liters. In June 2020, the Company began constructing its new nova biodiesel plant at Mafra (SC), which will more than double its current biodiesel production capacity.

The company was also the first to be certified to trade Decarbonization Credits (CBios) under the RenovaBio program. In 2020, JBS issued more than 430,000 CBios.