The stamp Welfair® strengthens the trust of clients and consumers”

Tamara Duarte Borges, Global Animal Welfare Manager at Minerva Foods (Brazil), He spearheaded a process that led the company to become the first in its segment in South America in obtaining the Seal Welfair®.

With an international presence and a production chain that spans from the field to the final consumer, Minerva Foods —one of the largest meat exporters in South America— consolidates with the certification Welfair® your position as regional leader in sustainability, ethics and transparency.

Minerva Foods and Welfair®

The path to certification Welfair® has its roots in Tâmara's professional experience. “I completed my PhD at IRTA in Spain, where I learned about the importance of animal welfare and its impact on production. I always dreamed of bringing it to South America, and seeing it at Minerva Foods today is very rewarding,” she says.

The decision to begin this process stemmed from a clear conviction: “Animal welfare is not only an ethical responsibility, it is also key to quality production. Certification Welfair® allows us to objectively demonstrate that our products come from animals treated with respect.”

In Latin America, the certification process maintains the same criteria as in Europe, but is adapted to the legal and cultural realities of each country. Today, Minerva Foods' certified products already bear the distinctive mark. Welfair® Latam in their packaging.

Animal welfare within the strategy

The certification Welfair® is part of Minerva Foods' global sustainability strategy. “We work with respect for animals, people, and the environment. We have developed certified product lines, such as organic meat, carbon-neutral products, and now animal welfare certifications, to respond to more conscious and demanding consumers,” explains Tâmara.

This diversification, he adds, also strengthens the company's value. “The Seal Welfair® backs our products with science and independent audits, demonstrating that animal welfare and profitability can go hand in hand.”

Furthermore, obtaining the Seal included a training program for the teams. “We developed training programs based on the protocols of Welfair“®, on animal behavior, proper handling, and welfare assessment,” explains Tâmara. Many of these practices were already part of the company culture: “The certification confirmed a commitment that was already in our DNA. The most valuable aspect was strengthening internal awareness of animal welfare and promoting respect and responsibility throughout the team,” she concludes.

Implementation of Welfair® and technology

One of the main challenges was documenting all the practices in the field. “Some farms were implementing good practices, but they weren't always documented. Implementing the idea that 'what isn't recorded doesn't exist' required training and technical support,” he explains.

It also involved changing the way animals were observed: “The protocol Welfair® includes emotional and behavioral aspects. Adopting this more empathetic and scientific approach was a challenge, but it allowed us to evolve the animal welfare culture throughout the company,” he adds.

Regarding technology, Tâmara maintains that it is essential for facilitating program management. “We use tablets to record animal welfare indicators in real time, which improves traceability and facilitates audits,” she explains. Furthermore, the company also has a traceability system that ensures the separation and tracking of certified products. “This guarantees transparency and reliability throughout the entire process.”

Benefits, expansion and future of animal welfare

“The Seal Welfair“The ® certification strengthens the trust of our clients and consumers,” says Tâmara. “It’s a guarantee that our products meet high scientific and ethical standards.” Additionally, the certification allows access to new markets. “It opens up opportunities for us in Europe and differentiated segments of Latin America, and strengthens relationships with partners who value quality and transparency,” she states.

With this certification, Minerva Foods aims to expand its reach. “We want to bring the Seal to other units and suppliers, ensuring our ability to meet the growing demand for certified products.” This expansion reinforces the company's commitment to establishing itself as a regional leader in animal welfare.

Tâmara also invites other companies to join. “Adopt the certification Welfair"® is an ethical commitment and a learning opportunity. It allowed us to validate and strengthen practices that were already in place and gain international recognition," he concludes.

The vision of animal welfare in Latin America

For Tâmara, the region is moving toward a new stage. “We are shifting from legal obligation to ethical conviction. More and more companies, producers, and consumers understand that animal welfare is essential, as well as strategic and necessary for sustainable production.” Her final message is clear: “Responsible production is the future, and it is built on respect, science, and empathy. These are the pillars of a more conscious industry, aligned with the values ​​of today’s society.”

“O Selo Welfair® strengthens the trust of clients and consumers”

Tâmara Duarte Borges, Global Manager of Bem-Estar Animal at Minerva Foods (Brazil), led a process that led the company to become the first in its segment in South America to obtain Selo Welfair®.

With an international presence and a production chain that goes from the field to the final consumer, to Minerva Foods —one of the largest meat exporters in South America—consolidates with a certification Welfair® sua posição como Regional reference in sustainability, ethics and transparency.

Minerva Foods and Welfair®

The road to certification Welfair® has roots in Tâmara's professional experience. "I did my homework at IRTA, in Spain, where I learned about the importance of animal health and its impact on production. I always dream of bringing this knowledge to South America and seeing what happens at Minerva Foods is very gratifying," he says.

The decision to start this process arose from a clear conviction: “O being an animal is not just an ethical responsibility, it is also fundamental for quality production. Welfair® allows us to objectively demonstrate that our products come from animals treated with respect.”

In Latin America, the certification maintains the same criteria used in Europe, but is adapted to the legislative and cultural reality of each country. Here, the certified products of Minerva Foods can be seen Welfair® Latam em suas empagens.

O bem-being animal within the strategy

the certification Welfair® is part of Minerva Foods' global sustainability strategy. "We work with respect for animals, people and the environment. We develop lines of certified products, such as organic meat, carbon neutral and now animal-friendly, to serve more conscious and demanding consumers," explains Tâmara.

This diversification increases it and also strengthens the value of the company. “O Selo Welfair® supports our products with science and independent audits, showing that animal health and profitability can walk together.”

Additionally, obtaining the Selo includes a training program for the teams. “We develop training based on protocols Welfair®, addressing animal behavior, adequate management and validation of good health", Tâmara details. Many of these practices are part of the company's culture: "A certification confirmed a commitment that was already in our DNA. The most valuable thing was to strengthen internal awareness about animal welfare and promote respect and responsibility in the entire team,” he concluded.

Implementation of Welfair® and technology

One of the two main challenges was to record all the practices in the field. "In some farms, practical practices are still applied, but they are not always documented. Implementing the idea that 'whatever is not registered, does not exist' requires training and technical support," he explains.

It was also necessary to change the way of observing the animals: “The protocol Welfair® includes emotional and behavioral aspects. Adopting this more empathetic and scientific approach was a challenge, but it allowed us to evolve a culture of animal welfare throughout the company,” he adds.

Regarding technology, Tâmara highlights that it is essential to facilitate program management. “We use tablets to record animal health indicators in real time, which improves traceability and facilitates audits,” he comments. Furthermore, the company has a traceability system that guarantees the separation and accompaniment of two certified products. “This ensures transparency and reliability throughout the process.”

Benefits, expansion and future of animal welfare

“O Selo Welfair® strengthens the trust of clients and consumers,” says Tâmara. “It is a guarantee that our products meet high scientific and ethical standards.” Furthermore, certification allows access to new markets. “It opens doors in Europe and in differentiated segments in Latin America, in addition to strengthening relationships with partners that value quality and transparency.”

With the certification obtained, Minerva Foods seeks to expand its reach. “We want to raise the Selo for other units and suppliers, guaranteeing our capacity to meet the growing demand for certified products.” With this expansion, the company reinforces its commitment to consolidate itself as a regional reference in animal welfare.

Tâmara also invites other companies to join us. “Attach to certification Welfair® is an ethical commitment and a learning opportunity. It allowed us to validate and strengthen practices that were already in place and obtain international recognition,” he concluded.

A visão do bem-estar animal in Latin America

For Tâmara, the region advances for a new stage. "We are moving from legal obligation to ethical conviction. More and more companies, producers and consumers understand that being an animal is essential, strategic and necessary for sustainable production." His final message is clear: "A responsible production is the future — and is built with respect, science and empathy. These are the pillars of an industry that is more conscious and aligned with the values ​​of today's society."