For the first time ever, China purchased a shipment of Brazilian beef certified as free from recent deforestation, in a deal carried out in May between Cofco and MBRF (then Marfrig). The audit was conducted by BDO, following the criteria of the Boi na Linha protocol and international environmental organizations.
The certification guaranteed that the meat came from animals raised in areas of the Cerrado that had not been cleared after 2020 and in areas of the Amazon that had not been cleared after 2008. It was also verified that there was no occupation of embargoed areas, protected areas, or indigenous lands. Traceability covered the entire chain—including direct and indirect suppliers—through daily geospatial monitoring.
For organizations like WWF, the deal sends a clear signal that China will prioritize deforestation-free supply chains, accelerating the transition to more demanding standards. According to MBRF, expanding the supply of environmentally certified meat will depend on supporting producers and making traceability a mandatory public policy with incentives to scale up production.
