Is traceability important for Bertins suppliers?
Traceability provides a record of each animal from the farm where it was born, through possible intermediaries where it may have been raised, to its arrival at the slaughterhouse. It was originally designed for food safety reasons but it can also be used to trace the cattle to the farms and check for environmental and social performance. Most of Bertin’s suppliers trace their cattle according to the national traceability system SISBOV. However, in the state of Par, where Bertin’s Marab slaughterhouse is located, cattle ranchers do not have this system in place. This is because the state government does not require it and there is no financial incentive for them to do so until Par opens for export to the European Union. Bertin undertook a pilot project with 25 suppliers in Par to test the use of good agricultural practices, including SISBOV traceability. Following this experience, Bertin is currently developing a registration system that requires suppliers to complete SISBOV forms with
