This is how JBS helped with the recovery of almost 5,000 acres of rainforest

In just two years, the Green Offices program has helped in the environmental regularization of 6,700 farms in the North and Midwest regions of Brazil

This is how JBS helped with the recovery of almost 5,000 acres of rainforest

By JBS ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

JBS generates 2.1% of Brazil’s GDP — JBS, one of the world’s largest food companies, has just reached the milestone of 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) earmarked for forest recovery through the Green Offices program. The area is equivalent to the size of 2,000 soccer fields. In just two years of operation, this initiative has already contributed to the socio-environmental regularization of 6,700 farms.

“Our work believes that the strategic solution for the sector as a whole is to tackle the problem of deforestation together with cattle ranchers and also to integrate small producers. It’s not enough just to block those who don’t comply with our purchasing policy, for example. We need to give guidance and support to those who act in good faith to follow the path of regularization,” says Liège Correia, Sustainability Director at JBS Brasil.

JBS currently monitors 73,800 potential cattle suppliers on a daily basis. When any rancher is found to be non-compliant with Brazilian socio-environmental laws or with the rules of JBS’s Responsible Purchasing Policy, their farms are immediately blocked. At this point, the Green Offices step in to offer support and guidance to producers who wish to follow the path of sustainability and regularize their areas.

JBS currently has 19 Green Offices in operation in the North and Midwest regions of Brazil, including the recent inauguration of the first unit in Rio Branco, Acre. The program was launched in 2021, initially in the states of Pará, Rondônia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. With the maturity and growing demand from producers, the initiative has expanded rapidly.

“We are growing rapidly, in line with our goals for 2023. We started the year with 18 units and will soon reach our goal of having 20 Green Offices by December,” explains the Sustainability Director.

Despite the progress, there is still significant room for growth. Since the start of the program, 18,700 producers have come to JBS and started service protocols. This means that, in addition to the 6,700 farms already regularized, at least 12,000 cattle ranchers are in the process of environmental regularization with the assistance of the Green Offices. This will represent a considerable increase in the number of producers operating in a regular manner, benefiting not only JBS, but the entire livestock production chain.

In addition to the impressive figures, the program has received international recognition. A study carried out by the UK government highlighted the Green Offices as an exemplary environmental practice. This analysis is part of the study “Sustainability in the Meat Chain”, carried out by Agroicone in partnership with the international initiative Partnerships for Forests (P4F), which seeks to accelerate projects that promote sustainable economic development and contribute to reducing deforestation.

According to the study, the adoption of technologies and good agricultural practices in Brazil, such as the Green Offices, has been growing and is generating visible results for both the environment and rural producers.  “The Green Offices are a demonstration of our commitment to sustainability and to promoting practices that have a positive impact on the production chain, reducing deforestation and carbon emissions,” says Alexandre Kavati, Sustainability Manager at JBS (Friboi).