What are the developmental impacts and the specific benefits that this project would bring to the people of the Marab region, particularly for those in Par?
The practice of sustainable cattle grazing in the Marab region is a positive development impact, since cattle ranching in southeast Par is a reality. With IFC’s social and environmental standards being applied to cattle grazing in the region, ranchers on the supply chain will be discouraged from resorting to slave labor, illegal deforestation, illegal landholding, and agrarian conflict. This is a benchmarking exercise for the sector, with important potential benefits elsewhere. In addition, more job opportunities will be created, particularly for the Marab area. Dog toy factories, for instance, are labor-intensive enterprises, and most of the jobs in the dog toy factories tend to go to women (because of their handcraft abilities). Hence there will also be a positive gender impact. IFC’s mandate is to create jobs that are sustainable within the perspective of a globalized economy, and the jobs created by Bertin are of that character. Although cattle grazing is not traditionally a labor-
