Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec)

Background

The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) brings together 46 major Brazilian companies and 163 slaughterhouses responsible for 98 percent of the beef that Brazil exports to international markets.¹

Among its members are major players in the livestock industry,² such as JBS, Marfrig, and Minerva Foods. According to a recent report from Friends of the Earth U.S., these three companies are among the world’s five most-emitting meat and dairy firms. Between them, they emitted more greenhouse gases than oil major BP in 2022-23, according to the same report.³

According to the Association’s website, one of its key goals is to “represent and defend the interests of the beef export sector in Brazil and abroad”, as well as to “strengthen its international image” and to “influence decisions and regulations that impact global beef trade.”⁴

Abiec is formally affiliated with the Instituto Pensar Agro (IPA),⁵ a think tank that advises Brazil’s powerful agribusiness caucus and is funded by 58 organizations in the agricultural and industrial sector. Other affiliates of the Institute include the National Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (Abag), the Brazilian Association of Soy Producers (Aprosoja), and the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries.

Another channel of Abiec’s political influence is via events. Throughout the year, it participates in forums, conferences, workshops, and international trade fairs.⁶ During these events, Abiec representatives promote Brazilian beef as sustainable and establish commercial partnerships.⁷ The goal, in the words of one of the organization’s executives, is to “show the world a production model based on quality, health standards, and sustainability.”⁸

Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of beef,⁹ and the largest exporter, trading 30 percent of production.¹⁰ Agriculture is responsible for 74 percent of the country’s emissions and the beef industry is the largest driver of deforestation.¹¹ ¹² Scientists say major changes are needed — including the reduction of Brazil’s livestock herd in order to transition to a more sustainable food system in line with the goals of the Paris treaty.¹³

Abiec also supported the Environmental Licensing Bill through a joint letter co-signed by other major Brazilian agribusiness groups.¹⁴ Nicknamed by environmentalists as the “Devastation Bill,” the measure provides for self-licensing and weakens the protection of traditional territories.¹⁵

While it acknowledges climate change is happening, Abiec has denied that a large share of global heating is caused by livestock. Peer-reviewed science shows that livestock is responsible for between 12-20 percent percent of emissions.¹⁶ ¹⁷

The Association maintains offices in São Paulo, Brasília, and Beijing in China, which is the largest market for Brazilian beef exports, importing 1.33 million tonnes in 2024.¹⁸ ¹⁹

Stance on Climate Change

Abiec has acknowledged the reality of climate change, but has argued that the beef sector should continue to expand to meet global demand and has suggested reaching climate goals must be balanced with the need to address food security.²⁰

For example, a website page from June 2024 stated “the challenge is to reconcile the country’s contribution to global food security with actions to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crisis”.²¹

While the meat industry argues it is key to tackling global food security, studies including the EAT-Lancet Commission have found that all but two regions — sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia — now overconsume animal products.²² The Food Systems Economics Commission of experts, for example, in 2024 recommended consumption of animal products decrease in middle-income countries by 62 percent.²³

Experts say Brazil’s exit from the hunger map, success in tackling hunger are due to policies supporting smallholder agriculture, not major industries such as beef.²⁴ While demand for beef is rising worldwide, production is supported by huge levels of subsidies which scientists have said helps to support the dominance of animal agriculture over other alternatives.²⁵

While it has acknowledged climate change, Abiec, has also previously denied animal agriculture is a driver of global heating. For example, in May 2020, Abiec published an article arguing:

“Based on dubious methodologies, activists claim that livestock production — especially cattle ranching — is responsible for a large share of carbon emissions and, consequently, has a significant impact on global climate change. They therefore recommend reducing consumption.”²⁶

This contradicts a body of scientific evidence showing the contribution of livestock emissions to the climate crisis. Globally scientists have found that livestock is responsible for between 12-20 percent of emissions.²⁷ ²⁸ This is due to the sector’s role as the leading driver of deforestation,²⁹ as being the main emitter of the greenhouse gas methane – emitted by the digestive system of ruminants like cattle and sheep – which is responsible for a third of global warming to date.³⁰

Due to these impacts, the reduction of consumption of meat and dairy has been recommended by the world’s leading climate science body — the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — as well as by other assessments.³¹

Key Actions

August 2025

Abiec was announced as the host of an event at Embrapa’s Agrizone, called The Future of Sustainable Meat.³² The Agrizone will take place at the headquarters of Embrapa Eastern Amazon in Belém, alongside the COP30 events, and has been described as a showcase for the Brazilian rural sector to promote its image as an “agro-environmental powerhouse.”

According to Repórter Brasil, the National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA) — the largest employers’ organization in Brazilian agribusiness — will be the master sponsor of the Agrizone, with a contribution of R$ 2.5 million (approximately $400,000).³³ Nestlé and Bayer are listed among the diamond-level supporters, each contributing R$ 1 million (around $200,000).

July 2025

Abiec supported the Environmental Licensing Bill through a joint letter co-signed by other major Brazilian agribusiness groups.³⁴ Nicknamed by environmentalists as the “Devastation Bill,” the measure provides for self-licensing and weakens the protection of traditional territories.³⁵

The Association’s sustainability director, Fernando Sampaio, stated that “in the private sector, the bill has strong support; the view is that it’s necessary to bring agility and reduce bureaucracy (…) However, there are points that require broader debate with society.”³⁶

On social media, Sampaio was more direct: “For the record, I reiterate that Senator Tereza Cristina’s bill, which modernizes the legal framework for licensing, has Abiec’s full support.”³⁷

The bill exempts small-scale activities such as agriculture, livestock, and forestry from environmental licensing; removes the requirement to assess impacts on Indigenous communities; grants amnesty to irregular enterprises; and establishes self-declared licenses as the standard procedure.

June 2025

In November 2025, Brazil will host the COP30 climate summit. Ahead of the summit, where food was a designated part of the Presidency’s agenda, numerous agribusiness groups including Abiec coordinated lobby efforts.

In June, Abiec released “Beef Report 2025.”³⁸ In the chapter on COP30, the association states that agribusiness has a central role in the country’s sustainable development and that it sees “the market as a major driver promoting the efficiency of production systems and consequently reducing environmental impact”, adding that “Brazil has developed low-carbon models for tropical agricultural production, and the productivity of our livestock has been growing over the last decade.”

In the period leading up to COP30, the agribusiness sector has actively promoted the concept of tropical agriculture, which claims that it is possible to produce on a large scale in the tropics without causing environmental degradation.³⁹ However, critics argue that this narrative often serves to legitimize agricultural expansion into sensitive ecosystems such as the Cerrado and the Amazon.⁴⁰

According to a study published in the journal Science, “to have any hope of meeting the central goal of the Paris Agreement, which is to limit global warming to 2°C or less, our carbon emissions must be reduced considerably, including those coming from agriculture.”⁴¹

Lobbying

Abiec’s lobbying activities, targeting politicians, the government, and regulatory agencies in Brazil, are carried out mainly through the IPA.

Roberto Serroni Perosa, the current president of Abiec, held a position at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) in the Secretariat of Commerce and International Relations until December 2024,⁴² when he took over as head of the Association. Former Abiec president Antonio Camardelli had also previously held positions at Mapa and JBS.⁴³

Abiec also maintains a close relationship with public authorities. In a banner on its website, the association highlights that it is “promoted” by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, and by the Federal Government itself.

Funding

Abiec is funded by its member companies, and its financial statements are not made public.

Affiliations

A total of 46 companies in the sector and 163 meatpacking plants are part of Abiec.⁴⁴ Among them are Brazil’s three largest meat companies JBS, MBRF, Minerva Foods, as well as meat wholesaler Frigol, meatpacking firm Masterboi, beef processor and exporters Naturfrig, and Primafoods.

Resources

1
Wellton Máximo, “Brazil’s beef exports hit record in July,” August 14, 2025. Archived September 6, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZA12E
2
“Associados,” Abiec. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rKTln
3
“Roasting the Planet: Big Meat and Dairy’s Big Emissions,” Foodrise, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, IATP, October 2025. Archived November 3, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
4
“Quem Somos,” Abiec. Archived August 9, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GNmm4
5
“Entidades,” IPA. Archived July 16, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qnurU
6
“ABIEC participa pela primeira vez da WOFEX e amplia atuação nas Filipinas,” Abiec, July 30, 2025. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UDKHL
7
“Abiec leva 28 empresas para a Anuga 2025 e reforça presença da carne bovina brasileira em uma das principais feiras de alimentos do mundo,” Abiec, September 25, 2025. Archived November 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/9u8Sj
8
“ABIEC participa pela primeira vez da WOFEX e amplia atuação nas Filipinas,” Abiec, July 30, 2025. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UDKHL
9
“Carne bovina é um dos principais produtos pecuários nas exportações brasileiras,” Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária, October 14, 2024. Archived May 30, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QaCnB
10
Lygia Pimentel, “Negócio do Brasil é Ser Exportador Global de Carne Bovina,” Forbes, March 17, 2025. Archived May 30, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kQ0zH
11
“Produção de comida responde por 74% das emissões do Brasil,” Observatório do Clima, October 24, 2023. Archived May 31, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mg9PX
12
“Agropecuária impulsiona mais de 90% do desmatamento no mundo,” Observatório do Clima, September 8, 2022. Archived August 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/i4j2i
13
Tatiana Merlino, “Aquecimento global: o Brasil está disposto a frear o aumento do rebanho de bois?,” O Joio e O Trigo, November 6, 2024. Archived December 11, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DLiZr
14
“Licenciamento ambiental: 98 entidades do setor produtivo apoiam PL na Câmara,” UOL, July 8, 2025. Archived August 11, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/avyt1
15
Carlos Juliano Barros, “Aprovação do ‘PL da Devastação’ no Senado será ‘maior retrocesso’, diz manifesto,” Repórter Brasil, May 20, 2025. Archived July 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xbnIA
16
“Livestock emission data at a glance,” FAO. Archived September 6, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yYBiC
17
Xu et al., “Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods,” Nature Food, August 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00358-x. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
18
Roberto Samora, “Brazil’s beef exports to China jump 38% in September amid US tariffs,” Reuters, October 8, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CIz1w
19
César H. S. Rezende, “Exportações de carne bovina do Brasil crescem 26% em 2024 e batem recorde histórico,” Exame, January 7, 2025. Archived April 30, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bx15D
20
“Abiec discusses the transition of livestock to sustainability and traceability during an international forum in Oslo,” Abiec. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GgQ5N
21
“Abiec discusses the transition of livestock to sustainability and traceability during an international forum in Oslo,” Abiec. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GgQ5N
22
“The EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems,” The Lancet, October 2, 2025. Archived October 8, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
23
“The Economics of the Food System Transformation,” Food Systems Economics Commission, 2024. Archived September 6, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
24
“Brazil Beats Hunger,” IPES Food, July 28, 2025. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tnCjm Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
25
Vallone and Lambin, “Public policies and vested interests preserve the animal farming status quo at the expense of animal product analogs,” Cell Earth, September 15, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.07.013. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
26
“ARTIGO: Carne bovina e o erro do ativismo ambiental,” Abiec, May 4, 2020. Archived May 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MHrIm
27
“Livestock emission data at a glance,” FAO. Archived September 6, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yYBiC
28
Xu et al., “Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods,” Nature Food, August 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00358-x. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
29
“Drivers of Deforestation,” Our World in Data, February 2021. Archived October 11, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sSBaK
30
“Global Methane Assessment (full report),” Climate and Clean Air Coalition, 2021. Archived October 6, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
31
“Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report,” IPCC, 2023. Archived October 11 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
32
“Embrapa announces selected proposals for events and initiatives at AgriZone during COP30,” Embrapa, August 29, 2025. Archived November 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Nl5fp
33
Hélen Freitas, “COP30: agro disputará ‘narrativa’ sobre crise climática em Agrizone da Embrapa,” Repórter Brasil, October 20, 2025. Archived November 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/J3QWB
34
“Licenciamento ambiental: 98 entidades do setor produtivo apoiam PL na Câmara,” UOL, July 8, 2025. Archived August 11, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/avyt1
35
Carlos Juliano Barros, “Aprovação do ‘PL da Devastação’ no Senado será ‘maior retrocesso’, diz manifesto,” Repórter Brasil, May 20, 2025. Archived July 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xbnIA
36
“Simplificação do licenciamento ambiental é necessária, mas PL traz riscos, diz setor privado,” Estadão, June 2, 2025. Archived July 27, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/38tha
37
“Fernando Sampaio,” Linkedin. Accessed November 3, 2025. Archived .jpeg on file at DeSmog.
38
“Beef Report,” Abiec, 2025. Archived November 3, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
39
“Agricultura brasileira é modelo de desenvolvimento para outros países da faixa tropical do globo,” Embrapa, March 22, 2021. Archived November 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/onom6
40
Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, “A biodiversidade e o mito da agricultura tropical brasileira,” Folha de São Paulo, March 13, 2019. Archived December 23, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JYyxj
41
Clark et al., “Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets,” Science, November 6, 2020. DOI: 10.1126/science.aba7357 Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
42
Vera Ondei, “Roberto Perosa Assume a Abiec, a Associação que Representa US$ 13 bi em Exportação de Carne Bovina,” Forbes, December 13, 2025. Archived January 18, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZmeVZ
43
“Antônio Jorge Camardelli é destacado como Personalidade Exportadora do Ano, pelo Prêmio ApexBrasil Exame: Melhores dos Negócios Internacionais 2024,” Abiec, December 10, 2024. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/1hjGE
44
“Associados,” Abiec. Archived August 8, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rKTln

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