Given the current geopolitical tensions around the world Europe needs all the friends it can get and the Mercosur trade deal is now a necessity that it once wasn’t.

That’s according to the former director of international trade at the European Commission John Clarke who was speaking at the World Meat Congress in Brazil this week.

“I would expect the Mercosur trade agreement to be done and dusted inside the next six to eight months,” he said.

The three-day conference will hear from global meat experts including some of the challenges and opportunities that face the meat sector.

The conference takes place against the backdrop of increased global demand for meat products and declining production across some of the larger global players in meat production, including the USA and EU.

Deforestation

There is a big focus on sustainable meat production as part of the conference with Brazil and, in particular, the Mato Grosso state making some big claims around sustainability and ending deforestation in the state.

Marfrig, one of Brazil’s largest beef processors also announced at the conference that it is on target for sourcing 100% of its cattle supplies from non-deforested land.

It is using satellites and geo-tagging to determine the source of its cattle.

The system is however self-regulated with little input from governing authorities.

Questions have also been raised about Marfrig’s ability to guarantee that its indirect suppliers aren’t supplying cattle from deforested land.

President of the International Meat Secretariat Juan José Grigera Naón opened the conference commenting on some of the many challenges that are facing International Meat Secretariat members including the trade of meat around the world and the need for basing any decisions that may be taken in the future around science.

The recent imposition of trade tariffs by the USA came in for a lot of discussion on day one, with some countries, including Brazil, left reeling from the introduction of tariffs.

There is currently a 50% tariff on Brazilian beef that is imported to the USA.

Bord Bia, Meat Industry Ireland, the IFA and ABP are also in attendance.