Should the European Union stop importing Brazilian beef?
NO:
No, absolutely not. Brazilian meat is perfectly healthy. European consumers should not have any doubt about it. Our beef sold in Europe is submitted to a special treatment, that makes it absolutely safe for consumption. It is de-boned and matured in low temperatures. The rapid decrease of temperature eliminates viruses or germs of any kind. Besides, Brazil has been exporting beef to EU countries for more than 30 years and no strain of the several FMD outbreaks that historically occurred in Europe ever had any connection to our exports.
Frequent and thorough inspections by non-biased and proficient teams from the EU Food and Veterinary Office have supported our claim that consumption of Brazilian beef presents no health risks. In their meticulous reports FVO has, nevertheless, found some minor procedural shortcomings that are being magnified by the IFA with undisguised protectionist purposes.
Our authorities are taking into account, more seriously than ever, the FVO recommendations and we are implementing new measures to fully comply with further European requirements. I met recently in Brussels our minister for agriculture and the secretary for livestock protection, who were adamant in their certitude that the FVO mission that is now in Brazil will recognize that most of their recommendations have been satisfied.
Only abattoirs and specialist firms jointly certified by the department of animal health of the Brazilian ministry of agriculture and the FVO export Brazilian beef. A state veterinarian who leads a team of no less than 10 aides to control the sanitary conditions of each slaughtered animal permanently supervises our state-of-art abattoirs, capable of preparing meats according to the requirements of more than 140 countries. Non-compliance by any abattoir with the strict rules that regulate the meat-exporting activity in Brazil leads to its automatic removal from the list of certified exporters to the EU. As well as the farmers who are interested in protecting the health of their herds against FMD, the EU-authorised abattoirs don't take risks by buying untraced cattle for exporting purposes.
As for the regionalisation system adopted in Brazil, it must be said that it is the same that prevails in Europe. If it were not for regionalisation, the recent outbreaks of FMD in England would have entailed a ban on meat exports of all other members of EU, which is clearly an absurd hypothesis. Brazil is a vast country, divided by internal borders into 27 states and a federal district. The collection of ICMS (tax on circulation of merchandise and services) by federal states effectively restricts the movement of cattle from one state to another. Furthermore, the displacement of cattle between farms must be endorsed by an official licence which contains information about the vaccines inoculated in the farms. This licence is required by the state in order to issue invoices, without which the herd cannot cross internal borders. Heavy fines are imposed on farmers who might be found in breach of these rules. By the way, entries of vaccination records are already made online at the point of sale.
In Brazil the combination of factors such as large acreage, sunny climate, abundance of water and good soils generate huge areas of pure grasslands. Our farmers are thus able to feed their cattle exclusively on grass. The addition of soybean nuts would be uneconomical and affect the flavour of the meat. As happens in Switzerland, where only premium milk from grass-fed cows is acceptable for making Gruyère cheese, we produce in Brazil immense amounts of premium "green beef".
Since they are naturally fed, Brazilian cattle are completely free from the lethal bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease". Outbreaks of this disease led the EU to impose severe and successful measures of traceability in England and Ireland in order to protect consumers.
It is not scientifically correct to equate the seriousness of "mad cow disease" with foot-and-mouth disease. While the former can be lethal to humans, the latter affects the health of other hoofed animals and, of course, the finances of their farmers. It seems to me most unfair to impose on Brazilian farmers, whose cattle never had BSE, the same level of traceability that is required in Europe to detect this disease. In their campaign against Brazilian beef, IFA is spreading the wrong theory that foot and mouth disease is as dangerous to consumers as is BSE. The result could be a sharp fall in meat sales throughout EU.
If the Europeans have no rational grounds to accept the allegations against Brazilian beef, they and their governments should really worry about the elimination from the market of such a competitive and bona fide player. Meat prices in Europe, which are already extremely high, would grow even more, fuelling inflation and reducing competitiveness.
Stelio Marcos Amarante is the ambassador of Brazil to Ireland
