Why are animal health and sustainability inseparable in Brazilian livestock farming?
05/02/26 - Gabriela Mota da Cruz | Valéria Stacchini Ferreira Homem
low carbon | Environment | Politics | Sanity | food safety
Image created by artificial intelligence.
Increased productivity and the expansion of international markets reinforce the need to integrate animal health, sustainability, and climate resilience in agriculture, and this can already be seen in cattle farming.
Brazil has established itself as one of the world's leading producers and consumers of meat, occupying the fourth global position in total volume in 2024. Livestock farming plays a central role in domestic supply, income generation, and export performance. Advances in technology, management, and productivity are significant—but coexist with sanitary and environmental challenges that today shape the sector's competitiveness and redefine the demands of the most strategic markets.
Recent developments in cattle farming help illustrate why animal health and sustainability are no longer separate agendas. The cattle sector has advanced in...
Environmental regulation, management, intensification, and efficiency in land use have all contributed to the development of agricultural production, but the sector has also faced challenges that reveal how interdependent these dimensions are. Three of them clearly illustrate this trajectory: 1. The "China Beef" case, which showed how a sanitary requirement can accelerate improvements in management and compliance; 2. Meeting the demands of discerning markets such as the European Community; and 3. The recent withdrawal of foot-and-mouth disease vaccination, which has required robust traceability systems to know the origin of animals and facilitate a prompt response to potential disease outbreaks and their links. Looking ahead, there are also the impacts of a warmer climate, which tend to alter or even amplify the occurrence of diseases and put pressure on production systems to be more resilient. Together, these factors point to an ongoing transformation in which animal health, the environment, and productive efficiency mutually reinforce each other.
In the recent past, the "China Beef Case" became an example of how a sanitary requirement can reshape production practices far beyond animal health. The bilateral protocol signed between Brazil and China establishes criteria such as a maximum age of 30 months for slaughter, rigorous sanitary compliance, and proof of origin through information contained in the Animal Transit Guides (GTA) issued to support regular transit events throughout the national territory—traceability by batch, not individual. Although created with a strictly sanitary focus, the set of requirements contained in this protocol induced significant changes in production: it shortened the animals' cycle, stimulated more efficient pasture management, expanded the adoption of intensive systems, and reduced emissions by requiring younger animals. As shown in the Insper Agro Global study (Read more at [link to Insper Agro Global article]). "The Boi China case: how trade issues can become instruments to encourage sustainable production"This combination of market incentives and technical adjustments generated positive environmental externalities and accelerated the modernization of the sector, illustrating how external demands can drive sustainable intensification trajectories.
Looking at the present, the recent withdrawal of vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease, a disease of classic importance to Brazilian cattle farming, serves as an example to demonstrate the increasing importance of integrating animal health and integrated action by all actors in the production chain. Although the new sanitary status recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health in May 2025 is an achievement for Brazil in technical, economic, institutional, and political terms, recent news highlights that it also increases the risk of reintroduction of the virus—as shown by recent cases in European countries that have recorded outbreaks even after decades without vaccination (Read more in “ Brazil achieves foot-and-mouth disease free status without vaccination In this context, animal health surveillance systems for early case detection must be able to respond quickly to any suspicion.
These measures become essential, with robust action from animal health systems, as well as the National Plan for Individual Identification of Bovines and Buffaloes (PNIB), which emerges as a strategic instrument by allowing the precise identification of animals, the rural properties where they are located, and information about animal transit events and gatherings to which they may be subjected, where they are located, and information about transit events and gatherings to which they have been subjected; enabling the tracking and investigation of contacts in zoosanitary emergencies (Read more in “ PNIB: Individual cattle tracking and the challenges of implementation.
The advancement of the global warming phenomenon adds another layer of complexity to the performance of terrestrial or aquatic animal production systems.
Regardless of the animal species, higher temperatures and extreme weather events tend to transform known disease patterns, particularly those caused by pathogens, which may be related to the presence of reservoirs and vectors, naturally also sensitive to the conditions of the ecosystems in which they occur. Climate change, if it has not already occurred, will, depending on the region, strongly affect living conditions, general health and animal welfare, and put pressure on production systems regarding access to the natural resources on which they are intrinsically dependent. Therefore, building more resilient models—with an integrated plan for animal and plant species, provision of shade, proper management of pastures, water sources, soil, balanced microclimates, and biosecurity infrastructure—will be crucial to protect animal populations, reduce health risks, and maintain the sector's competitiveness.
Overcoming the sanitary, environmental, and climatic challenges that shape Brazilian livestock farming requires a combination of structural actions moving in the same direction. The first step, therefore, is to strengthen biosecurity and animal health surveillance, since the ability to quickly identify an outbreak, contain its spread, and avoid trade blockades depends on the robust coordination of the production sector with veterinary services in the states and on continuously revised protocols. This effort becomes even more relevant in a context where the pattern of health and disease in animal gatherings tends to be strongly impacted by more frequent droughts and floods, as well as heat and cold waves.
In this sense, productive adaptation needs to advance. Systems such as Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems, pasture recovery, and more efficient land use models contribute to creating more balanced microclimates, reducing heat stress, increasing animal welfare, and boosting productivity. These practices represent a dual strategy: they reduce sanitary vulnerabilities and strengthen environmental sustainability, increasing the resilience of production systems to climate change, while simultaneously providing greater guaranteed returns and income for producers.
The transition, however, will not occur at the necessary speed without a financial environment capable of supporting it. Public programs such as the ABC+ Plan and RenovAgro remain fundamental, but face natural limitations in budget and broad and massive participation. Therefore, expanding blended finance mechanisms—which combine public and private resources—becomes essential to scale investments in sustainable intensification, biosecurity infrastructure, and traceability. Initiatives such as EcoInvest show how this model can accelerate the adoption of more modern technologies and practices in the field.
Finally, integrated public policies, based on public-private partnerships, are indispensable. It is no longer possible to treat animal health, short- and long-term strategies, and economic and environmental sustainability as separate agendas. More recently, the World Organisation for Animal Health has been taking steps and seeking mechanisms with other international organizations to include animal health in the global climate action agenda, given the pressing need to safeguard the health of livestock in all countries, in a world that is already undergoing profound and rapid transformations.
The advancement of individual traceability with the PNIB (National Program for the Identification of Biomedical Products) demonstrates how managerial and sanitary measures can simultaneously support environmental objectives, while actions to strengthen agricultural defense in conjunction with productive sectors, land regularization, preservation and protection of water and soil, combating illegal deforestation, prevention of environmental contamination events due to accidents or misuse of agrochemicals, among other points, need to proceed in a coordinated manner. An articulated governance between states, the federal government, and the private sector will be crucial to guarantee credibility, reduce risks, and maintain access to increasingly demanding markets.
Given that Brazil is one of the main producers of animal protein and a supplier of animals and products to approximately 200 countries, contributing to global food security, it becomes essential to expand the adoption of action protocols that guarantee the sanitary, environmental, and economic sustainability of Brazilian livestock farming.
In short, integrating animal health, sustainability, and investment in resilient practices is not just an immediate response to current challenges: it is the foundation.
Strategic to ensure that Brazilian livestock farming remains competitive, robust, and prepared for a warmer and more uncertain future.
References and recommended readings:
CARDOSO, Victor Martins. Brazil achieves status as a foot-and-mouth disease-free area without vaccination. Agro Global – Insper, 4 June. 2025. Available at:
https://agro.insper.edu.br/midia/noticias/brasil-conquista-status-de-area-livre-de-febre-aftosa-sem-vacinacaoAccessed on: December 19, 2025. FOLLOW ABNT STANDARDS
CRUZ, Gabriela M. da; CARDOSO, Victor M.; GILIO, Leandro. The "China Beef" case: how trade issues can become instruments to encourage sustainable production. São Paulo: Insper Agro Global, Aug. 2025. (Working Paper No. 5/2025). Available at: https://agro.insper.edu.br/storage/papers/October2025/O_caso_boi_china.pdf . Accessed on: 19 Dec. 2025.
CRUZ, Gabriela M. da. PNIB: Individual cattle tracking and the challenges of implementation. São Paulo: Insper Agro Global, Jan. 2025. (Policy Brief No. 2/2025). Available at: https://agro.insper.edu.br/storage/papers/January2025/Policy%20Brief%20-
%20Plano%20Nacional%20de%20Identificação%20Individual%20de%20Bovinos%20e%
20 Buffaloes (PNIB).pdf. Accessed on: 19 Dec. 2025.
GLOSSARY
It is a financial strategy that combines public, private and philanthropic resources to finance projects with high social and environmental impact. The goal is to attract private investment by reducing the risks associated with projects that would otherwise not receive sufficient funding. Through this approach, public and philanthropic capital acts as a catalyst, offering guarantees, subsidies or credit at more attractive rates, while private capital expands the scale and economic sustainability of projects. This technique is widely used in sectors such as sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy and regenerative agriculture.
Microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites) capable of causing
Diseases in animals.
Events or situations where animals from different origins are concentrated—such as fairs, auctions, or feedlots—increasing the risk of
disease transmission.
A set of preventive and control measures to prevent the entry, persistence, or spread of diseases on farms or in production systems.
The name given to the sanitary protocol of the Brazil-China agreement that requires specific criteria for export, such as maximum slaughter age and proof of origin, generating impacts on management, productivity and sustainability.
A bloc of countries that make up the European Union, known for imposing stricter sanitary and environmental requirements on imported agricultural products.
High-risk situations arising from the detection of animal diseases that may compromise herds, public health, or international trade, requiring
A quick response from the authorities.
A measure that converts different types of meat into a single unit based on protein content. Since each type of meat has different percentages of protein, the protein equivalent expresses production and consumption in tons of protein, allowing for standardized comparisons between countries and products.
Indirect environmental benefits resulting from production changes — such as lower emissions, better pasture management, or reduced slaughter age.
— which were not pursued as the primary objective.
Official document that records the movement of animals between properties, serving as a tool for sanitary control and identification of origin.
of the flock.
System that combines agricultural, livestock and forestry production in the same area, promoting sustainability.
It is the world authority on animal health, founded in 1924 as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). It is an intergovernmental organization that focuses on disseminating information on animal diseases, improving global animal health and building a healthier, more sustainable world.
Diseases that rely on insects or other intermediate organisms (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.) to infect animals.
The ABC+ Plan (Low Carbon Agriculture) is an evolution of the original ABC Plan, a public policy in Brazil that aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices. This plan seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through technologies and practices that increase agricultural productivity and environmental resilience, such as proper soil management, recovery of degraded pastures, crop-livestock-forest integration, and agroforestry systems.
Federal program that establishes rules for the individual identification of animals and the registration of their movements.
facilitating tracking and health surveillance.
.
A system that identifies groups of animals moved together, without individual identification, recording origin and destination, but with less detail.
A method that links each animal to a unique identifier, allowing for tracking of its productive life, movements, and contacts.
