Carbon on track Imaflora

Have you ever heard of Carbon On Track?

Carbon On Track is Imaflora’s program and digital platform to follow progress towards decarbonization in the sectors of beef, coffee, grains and recovery of degraded areas.

Imaflora and partners embrace the importance of providing evidence of progress and communicating results to inspire more and more companies to follow this path.

Do you know what is the aim of this platform?

Through the Platform, companies and farms that are measuring and monitoring their greenhouse gas emissions and removals can track and disclose their results to their shareholders, investors and other interested parties.

Imaflora

Who is Imaflora?

A Brazilian NGO, founded in 1995, a time when concerns about preserving the environment and better ways of using nature's resources began to take prominence throughout the world.

Through innovative solutions, built together with partners, Imaflora acts to:

  • reconcile production with conservation.
  • achieve benefits for people, the environment and the economy.
  • reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.

The path to decarbonization in agriculture

1

Implement good production practices in farms.

2

measure and monitor greenhouse gas reductions and removals.

3

communicate results with transparency in a way that is easily accessible to all.

4

access the carbon credit market.

Why is the beef sector relevant to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in South America?

Let's take a look at the example from Brazil:

The beef sector, due to its size and economic importance, is a main actor with potential to support change in farmers’ practices. The area of pastures with some level of degradation in Brazil is 81.9 million hectares. These areas, if restored and well managed, could avoid the emission of approximately 39.1 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e).

With the recovery of pastures and the implementation of other practices, it is possible to produce more efficiently, without the need to open new areas.

Herd size of the five countries presented in this study
360,477 million head
Equivalent to 33% of the world herd.

And it is in this scenario that
Minerva Foods stands out

Minerva Foods is the largest beef exporter in South America and understands that the sustainability of their business depends on maintaining the ecosystems that support agricultural production.

Their focus is on taking action to prevent the effects of climate change and, at the same time, support farmers in implementing practices that reduce and store carbon, in addition to protecting biodiversity.

Minerva Foods represents more than 15,000 farmers in South America, taking what is produced in these properties to over 100 countries around the world, thus contributing with quality food, produced in a safe manner, with international certifications for safety and social and environmental responsibility.

The company is proud to achieve the best results against illegal deforestation in agribusiness in Brazil and Paraguay. Their commitment to the future and the planet is real and urgent. Therefore, their goal is to reach 2035 with zero net carbon emissions.

The results of the Renove Program Pilot Project

Minerva Foods' Renove Project aims to engage and support South American suppliers in the implementation of low-carbon practices within a fully monitored and verified program.

In 2021, a pilot project was carried out in all 5 countries of operation in South America to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and removals in 25 farms, covering 5 different biomes:

- Amazon
- Cerrado
- Pantanal
- Pampas
- Chaco

Total herd in the Renove Pilot Project 232,359 heads
Pasture area: 185,000 ha

According to studies published around the world, the average emissions for beef production is 19.9 tonCO₂e/ton of beef produced.

The results of the Renove Program show an emissions intensity 44% below the world average, revealing the potential of low-carbon livestock in South America.

Case studies

Click on the map icons for some fast facts.

A call to the future

In summary, the data show that the 25 farms participating in the pilot project have an emissions intensity 44% lower than the world average. Low-carbon beef is not only possible, it already exists and is in the market.

Imaflora and Minerva Foods share the view that beef production is an essential activity for the economy, for people and also for the world's food supply.

They believe that the implementation of low carbon emission practices in livestock farming contributes to the production of food with less environmental impact, promoting local development of communities, and feeding the world with quality and sustainable food.

  • Objectives
  • 1 To expand good production practices to a greater number of cattle farms in South America, promoting the effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 2 The continuous monitoring of farms´carbon balance.
  • 3 To increase transparency, allowing other companies in the sector to follow the same path towards decarbonization.

A little more about the methodology we use:

Estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals were calculated according to the guidelines proposed by the IPCC 2019, compatible with the GHG Protocol methodology.

The scope of the GHG emissions assessment comprises the main operations that take place within cattle raising activities, pasture and feedlot management. Data were collected for a period of 1 year.

It is important to emphasize that the comparison with the global average has some limitations due to the fact that data is being compared between different regions, different production systems, some different scopes of activities, among others. However, this global average provides a median value for emission intensity from more than 30 articles disseminated around the world, and can be used to give a general idea of the current picture of the farms evaluated in this project.

The next step in the process is the verification and certification of the farms involved in this program, in partnership with Preferred by Nature.

Preferred by Nature is a non-profit organization with 25 years of experience with certification systems in over 100 countries.

The Preferred by Nature (CFM) Carbon Footprint Verification and Support Program is assisting Minerva Foods in implementing credible and responsible climate actions.

It is also in line with internationally recognized standards such as the GHG Protocol, PAS standards and ISO 14064. In the case of Minerva Foods, it will allow systematic management of the carbon footprint of supplier farms and the implementation of targets and strategies to reduce greenhouse gases.

The verification program, with annual audits, allows the monitoring of agricultural activities, showing improvements in the carbon balance through the implementation of low carbon emission practices.