ARGENTINA – Argentina, a leading beef exporter, is enhancing its position in the European market by launching a new certification scheme that ensures its meat exports to the EU are sourced from sustainable, deforestation-free areas.
This move aligns with the European Union’s increasingly stringent food import regulations aimed at promoting sustainability.
Currently, Argentina exports approximately 50,000 tonnes of beef annually to the EU, representing about 7% of its total beef exports, valued at roughly $500 million.
While China remains Argentina’s largest beef market, consuming 80% of its exports, the recent EU regulatory changes have prompted the South American country to introduce this new certification to maintain and potentially expand its European market share.
At a recent event in Brussels, held at the residence of the Argentine Ambassador to the EU, the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA) officially unveiled this new certification scheme.
The initiative complies with the EU’s Regulation 2023/1115, which was approved in mid-2023 and will take effect on December 30, 2024.
The certification is integrated into the VISEC (Sectoral Vision Gran Chaco) platform, an advanced tool designed to ensure the traceability and certification of products free from deforestation, covering the entire cattle supply chain.
This guarantees that all beef shipments to Europe will come from non-deforested livestock establishments.
According to IPCVA’s Adrian Bifaretti, Argentina’s livestock and meat sector has been working since 2023 to align with the EU’s new regulations.
This effort has involved consultations with EU officials in Argentina and Mercosur, culminating in the development of VISEC Carne.
The platform’s implementation has seen active participation from various stakeholders in the beef industry, including ranchers, consignors, transporters, and meat processors.
Looking ahead, Argentina’s beef exports are expected to reach 920,000 tonnes in carcass weight equivalent by 2024, surpassing earlier USDA projections by 20,000 tonnes.
This increase is attributed to a larger-than-expected cattle herd, following a more successful 2023 calving season than previously anticipated.
Cattle slaughter in 2024 is forecast at 13.5 million head, 500,000 more than USDA estimates.
While China is set to continue as the primary destination for Argentina’s beef exports, absorbing over 70% of the total, domestic beef consumption has seen an 8% decline from 2023 levels
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