Page 56 - Minerva Foods | Annual Report 2017

Sustainable
LIVESTOCK RANCHING
In 2017, Minerva Foods faced and overcame the challenges of a troubling scenario, seeking to build closer a relationship with its suppliers. Commer- cial portfolios were reassessed to include partners committed to the highest standards of sustainabil- ity, while at the same time, were in line with the sales strategy, discounts and cash payment offers were expanded. Upon reactivating the Mirassol D’Oeste (MT) industrial unit, the same proce- dures were adopted to guarantee animal welfare and the sourcing of qualified suppliers. Capillarization of the purchase of cattle was the aspect that concentrated, as major achievements of the period, orienting secure negotiations, high- est returns, development and enhancement of internal systems that add value to the Company’s structural capital and above all the assurance that the products are not associated with non-respon- sible socio-environmental practices. Important results were obtained during the year through the use of audits: the percentage of regulated purchas- es, based on the use of maps and perimeters, rose from 92% to 99%. 103-2 | 103-3
Technology contributed to enhancing the over- sight and management of purchases. Based on the so-called QLIK system, data analyses that
would take one to two days to be completed, gained agility as this resource now permits the verification of various information, such as the profile of cattle provided, and the frequency of sales to Minerva.
The Company is a member of the Brazilian Roundtable on Sustainable Livestock (BRSL). It therefore operates using strict criteria for the sourcing of raw materials, to ensure that suppliers comply with guidelines prohibiting child and forced labor, violence in the field and agrarian conflicts, the exploration of areas un- der embargo, conservation units, protection areas and indigenous lands, and deforestation in the Amazon Biome. Geospatial monitoring of the Amazon Biome has been in effect since 2010 in addition, meetings are held with Bra- zil’s National Indian Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio – Funai) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conserva- tion (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade – ICMBio), for consultation, which provide up-to-date information on any conflicts with indigenous/Quilombola com- munities and any encroachment by supplier properties onto conservation units. 103-2 | 103-3
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