Brazil began implantation of the SAPI (Sistema AgrÀcola de Produção Integrada – Integrated Production Agricultural System) in the beef chain. The system will ensure certification of the quality and origin of beef produced in the country with a view towards expanding foreign markets.
“The SAPI is a system designed around principles that guarantee the security of the food, in other words, production of food that is not harmful to human health; that promote environmental sustainability; and that incorporate principles of social responsibility,” affirms Juaquim Naka, a technical staffer of the Secretariat of Agricultural Development and Cooperativism of the Ministry of Agriculture.
He explains that the system will allow a more rigorous control of beef production, as well as inducing behavioral changes in the agribusiness chain.
“Providing producers an up-to-date perspective on the world food market, which is demanding safer food products for human consumption. By implanting a system based on these paradigms, we shall be able to identify the origin of the product we are offering.
“If any problem or alert arises with respect to the meat, it will be possible to track and reconstitute the animal’s complete life cycle from its origin to the final stage of butchering.”
Naka points out that the fruit sector has already adopted the Integrated Production System. According to him, the majority of fruit exporters (apple, mango, grape, papaya, cashew, melon, and peach growers) participate in the system, which has brought savings in production costs, such as reductions in the use of insecticides and herbicides.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil