Environment

57% of BRF’s poultry volume is already produced with clean energy

BRF, one of the largest food companies in the world and owner of the brands Sadia, Perdigão and Qualy, is making progress in low-carbon agriculture and the use of renewable energy. 57% of the Company’s poultry volume is already produced using photovoltaic solar energy. The volume of solar energy generated on the properties would supply a city with approximately 200,000 inhabitants.

Low-carbon agribusiness and the increased use of renewable energy are part of the Climate Change pillar of BRF’s Sustainability Platform. “To mitigate its effects, the Company has been implementing a structured plan to reduce emissions in scopes 1, 2 and 3, contributing to global efforts against global warming. The action plan is also based on two other work fronts: sustainable grain purchasing – the company already has 100% traceability of grains from direct suppliers in the Amazon and Cerrado and has advanced to 90% of indirect suppliers in these biomes – and increased operational efficiency, which includes new technologies for treating effluents and waste,” says Paulo Pianez, BRF’s sustainability director.

BRF currently has 9,500 integrated producers in Brazil and Turkey. In Brazil, they are distributed across seven states and supply 24 chicken, turkey and pork units. The company provides them with animals, feed, technical assistance, transportation, slaughter and all products necessary for raising the animals. In return, the partners provide facilities that meet the concepts of hygiene, labor, well-being and quality of life of the animals. To encourage them to adopt solar energy, BRF signed an agreement with Banco do Brasil to provide R$200 million in easy financing, with lower interest rates, to finance investments in the installation of panels on farms, while also providing commercial, technical and legal support. In addition, producers with photovoltaic plants installed on their properties can improve their income, based on their score in the company’s Programa Integrado Destaque.

95% savings on energy costs: Álvaro José Baccin, an integrated producer at BRF in Cascavel (PR) and an agricultural engineer with an MBA in Business Management from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) and UNICAMP, says that he and his wife, also an integrated farmer, had been studying the subject for about five years. “We wanted to contribute to a better life on the planet. The possibility of generating energy from natural and renewable sources, combating climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals”, he says. Other factors in the decision were economic viability with conditions facilitated by government incentives, in addition to support from BRF itself, which has approved companies that offer high-tech products for the entire process of implementing the photovoltaic plant, including design, equipment and installation. Energy costs, which previously reached R$12,000 per month, have fallen to less than R$400 per month. “I notice that many producers in the region, including fish and pig farmers, already produce with solar energy. Those who have not yet invested in clean energy should think about it”, he adds.

Reducing emissions

On the Climate Change front, BRF ended the last cycle with a 21% reduction in total emissions linked to Scopes 1 and 2 when compared to the 2019 baseline, motivated mainly by the prioritization of renewable energy consumption, with proven traceability. The Company has committed to reducing, by 2030, 35% of Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions) and Scope 2 emissions (emissions related to the acquisition of electricity); and 12.3% of Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions in the value chain).