Keeping animal welfare at the heart of our business

This beautiful image showcases free-range egg-laying chickens in both a field and a commercial chicken coop. The photograph captures the natural beauty of these birds and their living environment.

For Seara, animal welfare is more than an ethical issue. It is a non-negotiable commitment. This principle guides our practices and partnerships, ensuring that we meet global standards for the humane treatment of animals.

Seara recognises that it has a responsibility to drive the transformation of agriculture markets. A big part of this is shown through our comprehensive approach to animal welfare, environmental management and product integrity. The initiatives that form part of Seara’s routine breeding process are established based on the ‘Five Domains’ of animal welfare: nutrition; environment; health; behaviour; and mental state. All of our welfare actions, from nutrition and environment to behavioural interactions, as well as those of our partners and collaborators, are in line with good animal production practices.

Seara’s holistic approach to animal agriculture integrates our responsibility to animal welfare, sustainability and innovation. It allows us to produce high-quality, nutritious food while maintaining the highest ethical standards and minimising our environmental impact. Seara’s commitment to innovation is also evident in its investment in new technologies and equipment.

Our Global Sustainability Strategy, developed in 2023, guides our actions on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Its structure mirrors the links in our supply chain, addressing our material sustainability topics, which include efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve energy efficiency and enhance resource management. This also allows Seara to support a global population in a sustainable and multifaceted approach, encompassing everything from farming practices to transportation and processing.

How Seara prioritises animals

Animal welfare is a cornerstone of Seara’s sustainability efforts. The company is committed to ensuring that all animals under its care are treated with respect and compassion throughout their lives. Seara’s animal welfare programme is built on several key components:

• Humane treatment: this includes providing appropriate housing, nutrition and medical care, as well as minimising stress and discomfort during transportation and processing.
• Continuous improvement: Seara is committed to continuously improving its animal welfare practices. The company conducts regular audits and assessments to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed
• Adherence to global reference standards: Seara’s animal welfare practices are guided by national and international standards, including those set by the North America National Chicken Council (NCC) among others. Active International Poultry Council involvement also enables best practice sharing to ensure that Seara’s practices align with the latest scientific knowledge and industry best practices.
• Training and education: Seara invests heavily in training and educating its employees on the importance of animal welfare. In 2023, over 15,000 employees received specialised training in animal welfare, quality assurance and operational procedures. This training helps to ensure that all employees are equipped to uphold Seara’s high standards of care.

Additionally, Seara has a commitment to only purchase eggs from cage-free hens as ingredients for its products by 2025, ensuring the birds’ freedom of movement and the ability to express their natural behaviours, such as spreading their wings, stretching, perching, sand bed and scratching. Seara will also require greater social interaction among the animals.

The company achieved this target ahead of schedule with 100% cage-free eggs sourcing achieved in 2024.

One key aspect of our approach to animal welfare is implementing precision nutrition and animal health programmes. These are designed to optimise the health and well-being of our animals while providing the appropriate medical care. By focusing on preventive measures and holistic health, we ensure that our animals are healthy and thriving throughout their lives.

Innovative partnerships and collaborations

Seara works with leading universities, research institutions and industry associations to develop and implement innovative solutions that enhance the welfare of animals and improve sustainable practices. These partnerships enable us to conduct cutting-edge research and implement the latest findings in our operations, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the industry. These projects focus on animal housing, handling and stunning methods, contributing to Seara’s ongoing efforts to improve its practices.

Seara’s commitment to sustainability and animal welfare extends beyond its own operations throughout the value chain. Seara collaborates with approximately 9,000 suppliers who have exclusive partner farm agreements. The partner farms – in addition to Seara team members – undergo training in proper stockmanship practices, animal welfare, compliance and environmental licensing. All suppliers of animal protein to Seara must adhere to and uphold our animal welfare standards and receive annual training in good practices and animal welfare.

Furthermore, we demonstrate our commitment to animal welfare through audits, overseen by auditors certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO). In 2023, at Seara, we maintained 100 percent of our broiler units evaluated and certified by PAACO auditors. The certifications and recognitions that we have received from independent entities testify to our continuous progress and improvements in animal welfare. Seara submits its special chicken lines to annual audits conducted by external entities, such as Certified Humane, to certify animal welfare. Internationally certified products like Seara DaGranja, which is produced by an exclusive group of approximately 100 partner farms in the Amparo region of São Paulo, undergo these audits.

Feeding a growing global population

As the global population continues to grow, the demand for nutritious and affordable protein sources increases. It is more important than ever to ensure that this need is met through sustainable practices and high animal welfare. Seara is at the forefront of meeting this demand through sustainable and responsible production practices. With over 60 years of history and a presence in more than 130 countries, Seara is the leading Brazilian poultry meat exporter, providing 50 percent of total chicken exports from Brazil to Europe, with significant growth in other regions. It is renowned for its comprehensive and diverse range of chicken products, which cater to diverse consumer preferences while ensuring food security.

Seara understands that a growing population means the need for a growing food supply, and a food supply that is both high in nutrition and value. As a component of this, the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) recorded a sustained increase in demand for savoury frozen food products in the UK in 2024, increasing by 3.1 percent, in the first quarter of 2024 – this is a demand that Seara is catering for through its food production.

Seara is dedicated to providing high-quality, practical and innovative food solutions that meet the diverse needs of consumers worldwide.

Conclusion

Seara continually demonstrates its leadership in sustainable food production. By investing in the well-being of animals and the sustainability of its operations, Seara is ensuring that it can continue to provide high-quality, nutritious food. The company’s efforts are a testament to its commitment to creating a more sustainable and humane food system for future generations. As we look to the future, Seara remains committed to leading the way in sustainable and ethical animal agriculture. Our focus on innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement will drive our efforts to feed the world responsibly.