Sergio De Zen is a Brazilian teacher and researcher who, in addition to multiple tasks in that territory, provides strategy advice to the powerful Minerva Foods group, the largest beef producing and exporting conglomerate in the world following the absorption of the Marfrig group and after receiving several assets from the JBS group. In Argentina, to begin with, Minerva manages the largest slaughter plant, the Swift meat processing plant in Rosario.
De Zen participated a few days ago in the Rosgan livestock congress at the Rosario Stock Exchange (BCR) and surprised everyone by explaining the reasons that in his opinion led Brazil to become the largest exporter of beef in the world, surpassing other powers such as the United States, Australia and of course Argentina. He said that it all started when the government of his country made the decision to send 2,500 researchers from Embrapa (similar to INTA in the neighboring country) to the different areas to see the needs of each of them to develop an ambitious livestock plan.
Watch the interview with Sergio De Zen:
“The Brazilian government decided to value young researchers at universities. From there, when it had that human capital, Embrapa was founded and a whole technological development plan happened that allowed the success of Brazilian agriculture,” De Zen told Field Bugs. Quite a lesson at a time when the libertarian government here plans to carry out a strong personnel adjustment at INTA, which could have relevant consequences on the future plans of said technological organization.
De Zen indicated that all this revaluation of technology began in 1967 and “it was a long-term strategy that took the country to that position of a great food supplier to the world.”
-What are the technological milestones that you consider were key?
–First, understand how production should work in a tropical country. Second, understand production in a tropical country of continental dimensions. Then we understood that there was not a single type of plant genetics, animal genetics or type of supplementation necessary in terms of fertilization with mineral supplementation. So understanding and facilitating the use of all that technology in large-scale tropical agriculture was a great challenge for the country.
Fabiano Ribeiro Tito Rosa, livestock director at Minerva Foods, reveals some of the secrets that made Brazil the world’s largest meat exporter
-In terms of beef, this growth had costs for the Brazilian people, who stopped eating meat to be exported. How is that equation? Has it been a gain for all of Brazil or only for livestock farming?
–The Brazilian is consuming more than 100 kilos of animal protein per inhabitant, which is higher than consumption in the United States. Only here there is a balance between consumption of chicken, pork and beef. We do not consume a single type of meat, we consume three types of meat and with that we can provide the population with quality animal protein, while maintaining an export rate for other countries that is necessary to maintain the Brazilian economy.
-Do you notice a benefit from being such an exporter? Does it serve to improve the quality of life of Brazilians?
-Arrives. There are several ways and the improvement is felt when meat is exported as we export. Another point I can say is that it has been through livestock production that development came to the interior of the country, to the quality of life in small cities. The countryside in Brazil improved a lot, because the mortality rate and the poverty rate are being reduced through the employment generated by that production.
Why is Brazilian agriculture triumphing? Maria Cléria Valadares has been a researcher for 40 years at Embrapa (the INTA there) and highlights that it was that organization that managed to adapt crops in many regions of Brazil
-Minerva has great interests in Argentina. Seeing Brazilian history and the parallel history of Argentina, so erratic when it comes to meat, what advice would you give to Argentinians?
-LArgentina has a very large heritage. The Chinese market wants quality and that quality in Argentine meat is recognized worldwide, with meat of natural quality. The objective of a company like Minerva is not only to sell more but also to sell quality in its brands. The goal then is to value the Argentine product. Globally speaking, Minerva is a global company of Latin American origin, which produces for the world. Everyone knows and needs higher quality.
