JBS SA Monitors Suppliers With Satellites
JBS SA monitors the origin of cattle it buys in Brazil using satellites, according to a Reuters report.
Citing heightened concerns about environmental preservation and sustainable beef production, JBS Chief Executive Gilberto Tomazoni said the company is using satellite technology to monitor a 450,000 square-km (280,000 square mile) area of Brazil to guarantee it is not buying cattle from deforested areas.
“We need to offer what the consumer wants. We cannot do that without worrying about the environment and animal welfare,” Tomazoni said. “This is fundamental to our business.”
Speaking at an industry event in São Paulo, Tomazoni said a new generation of consumers believe that “modern agriculture” destroys the planet. He called that perception misguided given that such up-to-date methods allow JBS and others to produce more food with far fewer resources.
His remarks come as fires burning in parts of the Amazon rainforest have sparked a global outcry against Brazil for allegedly failing to protect what is widely viewed as a key bulwark against global climate change.
Last month, local media reported JBS had been buying cattle from ranchers operating on deforested land in the Amazon, a claim denied by the company, which is the world’s largest producer of beef, chicken and leather products.
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