JBS urges for technical and financial support to rural producers

JBS, a multinational company of Brazilian origin, participated in the ‘Why Lands Matter’ panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, whereby its Global CEO, Gilberto Tomazoni argued that the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to offer technical and financial support to rural producers, particularly to the smaller producers.

“We need to focus on supporting farmers, with knowledge sharing and access to credit to make the transition to more sustainable production,” said Tomazoni.

“This way, they will be able to produce more, be more efficient, while applying existing technology.”

The panel, which also hosted the speakers Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, Stefaan Decraene, Executive Chairman of the Rabobank Group, Maria Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, and Jack Hurd, Executive Director of the Tropical Forest Alliance.

Explaining his viewpoint, Tomazoni said that in Brazil there are existing solutions to promote more efficient and sustainable agriculture and livestock production, such as the recovery of degraded pastures.

“In a single area, you can increase food production by 10 times and still capture more carbon from the atmosphere. Imagine how this could benefit a producer’s income”, explained Tomazoni.

However, according to the CEO’s vision, other than taking these production methods to the farmers, it is “necessary” to offer financial credit so that they can put them into practice.

“Today, less than 2 percent of the funds dedicated to tackling climate change go to this sector of the population. We urgently need to change this”.

In addition, Tomazoni highlighted why he thought it was important to segment producers in order to offer support and services according to their needs.

Cutting down on Brazilian deforestation

As part of the solution for better land use, Tomazoni presented the example of the JBS Fund for the Amazon, something that focuses on providing technical and financial support to local projects that seek the sustainable development of the Amazon. The Global CEO said it is “necessary to create a solidarity network as it is imperative that social inclusion and sustainable practices go hand in hand”.

Going forward, Tomazoni suggested that the government, financial and production sectors, as well as the third sector need to come together to build a climate solution and to ensure that the resources reach small producers without neglecting the food security of the growing world population under any circumstances.

“If we work collectively to support farmers, we can produce more, reduce emissions, and protect our natural resources,” said Tomazoni.