Minerva SA

The company exports to over 100 countries on five continents and manages 25 cattle slaughtering units in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay. However, it does not report that it has a science-based emission reduction target.

The company aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 intensity by 30% by 2030. Further, it has two additional sub-targets: achieving a 10% reduction in emissions intensity for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2026 and a 20% reduction for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2028. It also has a non-science-based Net-Zero target to achieve emission neutrality by 2035. In 2020, it reached net zero in its Scope 2 electricity mix, also maintained in 2021. It has 27 beef slaughter plants that source cattle from breeders, three meat processing plants, 14 distribution centres, and 16 sales offices that support these facilities. Therefore, emissions from the farming of the sourced animal should account for in Scope 3 emissions. It targets to reach net zero emissions by 2035 across the whole value chain, which assumes to include Scope 3 emissions.

The company has launched a low-carbon emission programme, Renove, wherein around 50% of the company's beef suppliers participate in advancing towards a low-carbon economy. It has also started a project in partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and FGV Agro to ensure that robust, internationally verified methodologies are used across the company.

The company does not disclose any innovative projects to reduce or mitigate emissions from active feed farming.

The company created the Renove programme in 2021 to promote engagement and collaboration with cattle suppliers adopting low-carbon practices. It aims to include at least 50% of its beef suppliers in its Renove programme. The programme is focused on three main initiatives: the Latam Certification Project, the Agro MRV Project and the Carbon Project. The second project was developed across 25 ranches in South American countries where the company operates. Net GHG emissions and emission intensity from beef production were calculated. Through this platform, companies and farms measuring and monitoring their GHG emissions and removals can track and publish their results for shareholders, investors, and other stakeholders. It mentions that a global emission value of 19.9 tons of CO2 e per ton of meat produced was obtained. On average, the 25 ranches that supply Minerva Foods come in 44% below this level. In 2022, the certification process began in Uruguay and has been extended to Brazil.

The company discloses that in FY2022, its Scope 1 emissions were 339,109.44 tCO2e, Scope 2 emissions were 40,960.69 tCO2e, and Scope 3 emissions were 17,635,165.08 tCO2e. It also mentions that it neutralised 100% of its Scope 2 emissions from electricity by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates.

The company monitors Scope 3 emissions from "purchased goods and services" (cattle and buffaloes acquired). It mentions emissions for cattle farming in FY2022 were 17,250,145.73 tCO2e. It mentions that this includes emissions from enteric fermentation and manure. It does not disclose emissions arising from feed farming.

The company responded to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire in 2022. It also states that in 2022, all emissions data was externally verified in an independent audit.

The company's total absolute GHG emissions showed a 5.4% increase from 17,098,256.71 tCO2e in FY2021 to 18,015,234.77 tCO2e in FY2022. However, it reports a decrease in emission intensity for the previous year. It reports Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, including cattle farming. It specifies cattle farming emissions, including emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management. Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services have increased from 16,501,475.65 tCO2 in 2021 to 17,250,145.73 tCO2 in 2022.

The company is currently undertaking scenario analysis as advised by the TCFD.

The company discusses climate change as a significant risk. It states that droughts, forest fires caused by heat waves, changes in weather patterns and shifts in rainfall patterns have the potential to cause increased operating costs and affect market prices for cattle. It writes that it is already investing in geographic diversification of its functional units to take advantage of the abundance of pastures, reduce dependence on agricultural commodities in the herd's diet, and reduce the likelihood of operations in areas of water stress to balance supply and demand in response to extreme climate events. It also uses a business intelligence function to conduct climate assessments to identify significant impacts from climate events that could affect raw materials prices and operating costs. It mentions that to mitigate potential risks; it uses the climate information that affects crops and pastures to determine cattle purchases. It notes that climate change poses several potential impacts on the agriculture and livestock value chain. It says climate change poses several possible effects on the agriculture and livestock value chain, including higher medication costs to ensure healthy livestock. It does not identify increasing energy costs as a risk in its scenario analysis but under its opportunities. It discusses expanding the use of renewable energy to reduce emissions and lower operating costs. The company zeroed its Scope 2 net emissions by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) for all operations. It mentions that it does not currently have an internal carbon price but anticipates doing so in the next three years.

The company commits to investing R$1.5 billion for neutralisation through 2035.

The company discloses that it does not directly purchase, produce, source or use soy. However, it states that 47.4% of cattle it purchased are pasture-raised. The rest is raised either in semi-confinement (15.9%), pasture confinement (5.5%), or confinement operations (33.9%). It is common to feed soy during feedlot stages, so it remains unclear if soy is used in the company's supply chain, such as by its suppliers to feed animals. In its 2020 Sustainability Report, the company stated that third-party suppliers that raise cattle provide their cattle with additional nutrition in which the diet consists of grains and grain-derived products (predominantly soy, maize and mineral supplements).

The company does not disclose having a deforestation/conversion-free target for soy.

The company discloses information to CDP Forest. However, it only discloses information for cattle-related deforestation, not soy-related deforestation.

The company is committed to eliminating deforestation throughout its supply chain by 2030. It monitors 100% of its direct suppliers using geo-referenced maps across all biomes in which it operates to ensure no illegal deforestation in suppliers' operations. Through this monitoring, 414 Brazilian suppliers were suspended due to illegal deforestation, and 243 Paraguayan suppliers failed to comply with social and environmental criteria in 2022. However, the company still sources cattle from areas at risk of deforestation. It has conducted forest-related risk assessments and it discusses the Amazon, the Cerrado, the Pantanal and the Grand Chaco in Paraguay regarding deforestation. The company is also testing the Visipec technology for screening indirect suppliers and enhancing traceability to identify if its suppliers are sourcing from environmentally and socially responsible suppliers.

The company commits to zero illegal deforestation throughout its supply chain in South America by 2030.

The company discloses information to CDP Forests 2022.

In its 2021 Sustainability Report, Minerva states that 54.5% of purchased cattle are pasture-raised. The rest is raised either in semi-confinement (11.3%) or in pasture confinement (4.4%) and confinement operations (29.8%). We encourage the company to disclose information on how it manages deforestation risks linked to soy in its supply chain.

The company does not directly purchase soy for animal feed. However, soy is likely used to feed cattle which the company procures. Cattle suppliers are bound to adhere to the company's business code of ethics, however, it is unclear if this extends to soy used in these suppliers feed provisions.

The company does not discuss innovations and/or practices to move towards sustainable feed sources.

The company verifies socio-environmental conditions during registration and has a risk analysis tool for all its partners. The company is also a signatory of the Public Livestock Commitment, thus requiring it to responsibly source cattle and cattle products on an industrial scale in the Amazon biome. It has an integrated traceability and monitoring tool for indirect suppliers in the Amazon, covering the breeding and backgrounding operations of selling calves or stockers to the company’s direct suppliers. The company mentions that the purpose of this application is to provide the transfer of the technology used in Minerva Foods' daily operations to the rancher. The company also mentions the creation of an application called SMGeo Prospec. Minerva Foods provides this tool to cattle ranchers throughout Brazil, allowing them to assess their supply chains for compliance. The app uses technology and a database that draws on the company's traceability expertise and the outcomes from previous assessments and audits. The tool allows ranchers to monitor suppliers and identify risks before transaction completion.

The company reports monitoring 100% of direct suppliers on illegal deforestation activities in Paraguay and Brazil. The company reports that over 80% and around 90% of direct suppliers are monitored in Colombia and Argentina, respectively. The company aims to monitor all direct suppliers in Colombia by 2023, Uruguay by 2025, and Argentina by 2030. For its indirect suppliers, the company has integrated the Visipec tool that assists in developing and guiding viable action plans to address deforestation risks on Minerva Foods' indirect supply farms. The company states that for regions and biomes in Brazil, it screens direct suppliers by reviewing publicly available information from IBAMA on illegal deforestation. If any irregularity is identified, the company's sustainability team blocks suppliers, eliminating the possibility of purchasing cattle from these producers. It also has a monitoring program for the rest of the direct suppliers to ensure that the cattle acquired meet all legal requirements and certifications. The company discloses that when purchasing cattle, it looks at deforestation, invasion of indigenous lands, and environmental protection areas by the supplier. In 2022, the company began to extend its monitoring to Colombia and Argentina, where more than 80% and around 90% of direct suppliers are already being monitored, respectively. In Uruguay, the company has studied the local socio-environmental regulations to define criteria for monitoring and implementing the system. Despite these steps, Minerva has been linked to deforestation in the reporting period. It was accused of buying cattle raised by two ranchers responsible for illegal land grabbing and forest clearance, all within the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples in the Gran Chaco. This illegal deforestation was found to have been occurring since 2018. However, the company denies the allegation. The company also reported buying cattle from Jaci-Paraná between 2018 and 2021, who bought cattle from farms outside the protected area that had received embargoes from IBAMA for illegal deforestation. The company has recently been linked to the deforestation of indigenous land in Paraguay.

The company is strengthening its collaboration with EMBRAPA to produce low-carbon beef, including 50% of its beef suppliers in its low-carbon emission program, Renove. The company also provides training and technical assistance to ranchers in implementing regenerative and low-carbon practices. The company discloses the results of the pilot projects.

The company conducted an internal water risk assessment and determined between 1-25% of its operations are located in water-stressed areas. It addresses water scarcity as a major risk to the company and has identified water-stressed areas as its Mirassol D'Oeste unit in Mato Grosso, Brazil. The company discloses its water withdrawals in FY2022. It also mentions water reuse practices that have been developed in slaughter and deboning units across Brazil.

The company set a target to reduce water intensity (water consumption per metric ton produced) by 1% in the company’s Brazil operations compared to the previous year. It has so far achieved 0.3% of its target.

The company discloses water consumption in Brazil by source for the reporting year. Similarly, water withdrawn volumes have been reported by the source for operations in Australia and LATAM. It discloses that it withdrew 587,403.84 m³ water from water-stressed areas in Brazil. This accounts for the total water withdrawn from water-stressed regions for the company as a whole. Minerva disclosed a 4.45% increase in CAPEX and that it anticipates a decrease of 11.52% in its CAPEX related to water moving forward. Further, it discloses an increase of 12% OPEX in 2021 compared to 2020. The future OPEX is expected to decrease due to reduced amounts spent on collection operations and water treatment plants. A third party audited the company's water-related data and it disclosed information to CDP Water 2022. Marfrig discloses an increase in both water consumption and water withdrawal for all locations except in the LATAM Division. The company also discloses that part of the reason for the increased water consumption was due to the expansion of slaughter and production volumes in Argentina and Paraguay.

In its 2022 Sustainability Report, Minerva states that 44.7% of cattle it purchased are pasture-raised. The rest is raised either in semi-confinement (15.9%), pasture confinement (5.5%) or confinement operations (33.9%). However, the company does not mention water use or water scarcity in the context of feed suppliers. Even though Minerva does not source animal feed directly, almost half of the cattle sourced is raised in semi-confinement or confinement operations, which use animal feed.

The company states that between 1-10% of the water it withdraws is from water-stressed areas. However, it is unclear if its feed supply is included in this. The company is undertaking regenerative agriculture. However, the goal of this seems to be to reduce emissions as opposed to reducing water scarcity risks.

The company discloses that only one unit is considered to be in an area of water stress. The company sources 1.52% of its cattle from this site, Minerva discloses it does not currently engage with its suppliers on water-related issues but it plans to do so within two years. The company mentions it is preparing action plans and questionnaires to be applied alongside on-site visits.

The company has not established partnerships with third parties to input into sourcing/farming strategy, including water use.

The company discloses that for the treatment of effluents, it has established monitoring and improvement measures in accordance with the legislation of each country. It had no fines or penalties for water-related regulatory violations. Minerva has conducted an internal water risk assessment and identified one location at risk from a water quality perspective. It assesses water availability at a basin/catchment level, water quality at a basin/catchment level, and water regulatory frameworks. Minerva mentions that it has targets concerning effluents, including parameters of BOD, nitrogen and phosphorus. However, it does not disclose any details of these targets. It does, however, have targets to reduce the effluent indicator (m3/TFP) at its Brazilian and Latam divisions.

The company disclosed its total water discharge in 2022. For effluents, the company has not reported quantitative data. Its 2022 Sustainability Report only mentions that all the plants have an on-site wastewater treatment facility, and all effluents are treated in accordance with the legislation of each country. A third party audits the company's data. The company discloses wastewater information to CDP Water.

The company mentions seeking more sustainable approaches to disposing of wastewater from processing plants, such as using it as a fertiliser on pasture. It also discloses that rumen fluid is sent for composting. The company's subsidiary, Minerva Biodiesel, also produces biofuel from the tallow derived from industrial slaughter processes and other agricultural commodities. Minerva discloses that water discharge volume increased over the reporting period by 7.8%.

The company has invested in the recycling of treated effluents to be used in fertigation systems to irrigate green areas and pastures adjacent to the industrial units. Although the company does not reference nutrient management in its supplier code of conduct, it does state that the application of manure used in fertigation is monitored by trained staff. The company has developed technology for its partner cattle farmers through its Renove Program. The company discloses that this program addresses the potential impacts on biodiversity along the company’s value chain, including improper use of fertilisers and agrochemicals, which could result in the eutrophication of rivers, lakes and groundwater contamination. Although the program's primary goal seems to be to reduce emissions, avoiding eutrophication risks is related to proper nutrient management.

The company does not invest in sustainable feed production to improve nutrient management or disclose information about pesticide use in its feed supply chain.

The company states that it supports livestock suppliers through the Renove program on waste management but provides no further disclosure.

The company does not make site-specific nutrient management plans a part of its supplier's contractual agreement and/or own farms management. Nor does it provides technical and/or financial support to suppliers and/or own farms to develop nutrient management plans and improve manure storage.

The company states that it works to identify, manage and mitigate risks and potential adverse impacts on communities and other stakeholders. However, it does not discuss engagement with communities relating to pollution from animal farming operations.

The company commits to an overarching antibiotics policy that is pervasive throughout its operations and the entire supply chain, underscoring high animal welfare standards. This commitment is manifested through strategies such as the deployment of probiotics, plant extracts, and essential oils, complemented by investments in biosecurity and herd health management programmes. Moreover, it implements vaccination protocols and measures to reduce stocking density. While not exclusively tailored for beef production, the policy encapsulates this domain, assuring no use of antibiotics in animal-based feeds and the use of growth hormones. However, the policy allows for antibiotic usage under specific circumstances for animal health and welfare, indicating that the policy does not uniformly prohibit antibiotic use across all operations. Notably, a substantial 50% of animals undergo surgical castration, a detail that warrants attention.

The company commits to requiring its suppliers to record and report antibiotic usage. It also discloses the percentage of critically important antibiotics (CIAs) used in the first semester of 2023. It commits to discontinuing the routine prophylactic and metaphylactic use of CIAs in its operations by 2040. However, the company does not provide historical data on CIA usage, which hampers the assessment of progress. Additionally, it does not explain the reasons for antibiotic use during the reporting period.

The company commits to the Five Freedoms of animal welfare. It mandates animal welfare training for both internal and outsourced employees, noting a 33.9% increase in training compared to the previous year. It employs standardised checklists for continuous monitoring and has incorporated animal welfare criteria in new supplier contracts, subject to annual verification. Non-compliance may lead to contract termination. The company also invests in research projects to enhance animal well-being and collaborates with external organisations, including the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). However, details on the scope and efficacy of these partnerships and research efforts are not disclosed.

The company indicates that cattle breeding in Latin America is primarily pasture-based and commits to avoiding routine animal mutilation, with specific goals and actions in place. It also commits to limiting long-distance transportation, citing percentages for various animal categories that meet this criterion. The company is committed to humane slaughter practices and provides enriched environments for animals, including specific amenities across different species. Additionally, it has a policy against the use of genetically modified animals. However, there is no disclosure regarding the specific breeds raised.

The company's units in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina hold certifications under the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) and North American Meat Institute (NAMI) protocols. In Australia, the Colac and Sunshine units are certified under the Australian Animal Welfare Certification System (AAWCS). Additionally, it collaborates with Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)-certified suppliers in Uruguay. However, these certifications only cover a portion of the company's beef operations. The company's beef operations are certified by various farm assurance programmes, with over 90% of its industrial units holding animal welfare certifications. It commits to ensuring compliance through regular third-party audits. Compliance rates in second-party and third-party audits are consistently high across operations in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The company discloses metrics for the percentage of animals raised in confinement, castrated animals, and dehorned animals for 2020, 2021, and 2022. It shows a positive trend in animals raised in confinement but a negative trend in castrated animals. The percentage of dehorned animals was disclosed for the first time in 2022.

The company commits to humane stunning and slaughter, except for religious markets, and aims to increase dehorning-free cattle. It reports that 44.7% of cattle are raised on pasture and provide average transportation times. However, 33.9% of cattle are raised in confinement with no pasture access.

The company commits in writing to promote human rights as outlined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The company has also joined the UN Global Compact, which requires companies to ratify the core ILO conventions.

The company evaluates human rights risks, particularly those concerning slave labour, in its supply chain. These evaluations focus on direct cattle suppliers, but the company also has a risk analysis tool that applies to all its business partners. The company also screens all suppliers against human rights, social, environmental and integrity requirements. In Brazil, all cattle suppliers are evaluated against human rights and slave labour. In 2022, 12 suppliers were blocked from doing business with the company for failure to comply with the company's policies. However, it must disclose further details on identifying and assessing human rights risks in its operations, including whether it conducts thorough human rights due diligence. The company does not disclose how it manages identified risks or mitigates potential human rights risks. However, it does reduce risk in its supply chain through screening, awareness-raising activities, and encouraging suppliers to monitor their business partners.

The company conducted a human rights impact assessment in its supply chain and found that 12 suppliers had violated criteria relating to encroachment on indigenous lands, the practice of work analogous to slavery and ranches located on illegally acquired land or obtained through acts of violence. These suppliers were blocked from doing business with the company in Brazil, and any further engagement with these suppliers has been restricted. However, the company does not discuss remediation to affected stakeholders or how it will prevent similar human rights violations ofrom ccurring in the future.

The company commits in writing to prohibit abuse, discrimination, child labour and forced labour and expects suppliers to do the same. The company mentions that many of its operations are SMETA-certified. SMETA audits are globally recognised social audits which cover all the selected policies. However, the company must mention having SMETA certifications for its industrial units in Australia. Furthermore, the company does not commit to promoting fair wages.

The company mentions that InPACTO, a national institute for eradicating slave labour, audits for adherence to the company's policy on slave labour in its supply chain. However, there is no explicit mention of audits for child labour or discrimination. Furthermore, the geographic scope of the InPACTO audits is limited as they only apply to the company's operations in Brazil. The company has a grievance mechanism that internal and external stakeholders can use to report anonymous complaints and raise concerns. However, it must disclose whether it was designed in consultation with stakeholders. The company received 195 contacts from internal stakeholders and 46 from external stakeholders in 2022. However, the company does not give a sufficient category-wise breakdown of the complaints received.

The company commits in writing to protect the health and safety of all its workers and strives to prevent work-related injuries. A health and safety committee dedicated to accident prevention represents the company's Brazilian employees. The company discloses that all the committees at each workplace comprise company and employee representatives. However, these committees are limited to the company's Brazilian operations, and it is still beiwhether the company holds a health and safety certification for the reporting year is unclear.

The company discloses that in FY2022, the accident with leave rate was 0.80 for Brazil, 14.43 for LATAM and 14.03 for Colac and Sunshine. The company discloses that in FY2021, the accident with leave rate was 0.53 for Brazil and 76.75 for all other operating regions. How the overall injury rate has changed from the previous reporting year does not be clarified. In addition, the company exhibits an increase in work-related fatalities from zero in FY2021 to one in FY2022. The company also discloses turnover rates by age group, gender, region and seniority level in the reporting year.

The company mentions it respects the right to freedom of association but does not disclose unionisation rates. The company also expects suppliers to respect their employees' right to freedom of association. The company does not mention whether it takes action to support workers' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The company states that collective bargaining agreements cover 100% of employees in Brazil and Uruguay. In Argentina and Paraguay, the percentage is 94% and 41%, respectively. The company mentions no collective bargaining agreements in Colombia and does not mention collective bargaining for its Australian operations. The company also discloses the distribution of its workforce as permanent, temporary and zero-hour contracts. However, information regarding part-time, full-time, and hourly workers is not disclosed.

The company discloses that 100% of its slaughter plants are certified by GFSI-recognised programmes. It reveals that suppliers have GFSI certification and have undergone accreditation audits. Therefore, it is deemed that the suppliers are expected to have GFSI certification. Of the 109 suppliers, 67.9% are certified in GFSI-recognised protocols or have undergone accreditation audits. Of the total volume purchased from these suppliers, 82.9% are procured from accredited suppliers in GFSI-recognised protocols or have undergone accreditation audits.

The company conducts internal risk assessments and verification processes. The Departamento de Produtos de Origem Animal (DIPOA) regularly conducts external product quality and safety audits. Customer audits are also performed. In 2022, 132 safety audits were conducted across all operations. Further, it has established measures to address non-conformities to ensure that effective corrective and preventive measures are established. Incidents of non-conformity are investigated and reviewed by members of senior management and representatives of the sectors directly involved in the production process at regularly scheduled meetings. No significant occurrences of non-compliance related to impacts on the health or safety of products/services. Therefore, it can be inferred that this resulted in a corrective action rate of 0. Further, it has implemented QR codes for its "Estancia 92" and "Minerva Angus" product brands. By scanning the image, consumers can access information regarding sustainable sourcing, animal welfare practices and quality, and eco-efficiency labels. Consumers can also identify products in the event of a recall.

The company mentions it has procedures in place for identifying, assessing and measuring the impact of non-compliant products. It also uses labelling that allows consumers to identify products during a recall, and a customer service channel is available to answer questions and receive complaints. However, it does not provide specific details of its product recall system. There were zero recalls in the reporting period.

The company discloses that there were zero market bans in the reporting period.

The company has established a sustainability commission, comprising board members, for decision-making related to environmental, social and governance issues. In addition, the company conducted a materiality assessment and publicly disclosed the analysis results. The problems identified were deforestation and biodiversity, process traceability, quality and safety of foods, occupational health and safety activity, activity market, ethics and compliance, greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare. The company states that an internal management-level panel is consulted as part of the process. However, whether this panel includes members of the board of directors is still being determined. The company has board-level expertise in sustainability, but it does not be clarified to what extent the board holds expertise in innovation and food safety.

The company does not disclose if it provides variable remuneration based on sustainability performance for executives. The company engages with trade and civil associations on animal welfare, human rights, responsible beef production, ESG issues in the value chain and sustainable livestock development. However, the company does not give a complete list of or go into detail on any trade association memberships. Also, the company does not include an alignment with a maximum 1.5-degree rise in global temperatures. However, the company discloses that its adherence to the UN Global Compact and support of the UN sustainable development goals ensures that its policy engagement activities and sustainability strategy are aligned.

In 2020, the company developed an innovation strategy with sustainability listed as a key consideration. The strategy aims to analyse the entire value chain to identify opportunities that generate value for the company while minimising environmental and social impact. As a part of this strategy, the company invested in startups and tech companies and has created a subsidiary (MyCarbon) dedicated to improving sustainability and minimising risk in the company's value chain. In addition, the company states that its ESG performance is assessed under standards and frameworks such as those from CDP, FAIRR and BBFAW. However, whilst the company acknowledges being evaluated by these frameworks, it is still being determined if it utilises them to benchmark itself against its peers.

The company has identified the expansion of its animal-free products as one of the key opportunities relevant to its sustainability strategy. On its website, it discusses various protein diversification strategies to reduce its dependence on animal-based foods. These include venture investments (i.e. The Every Company); the production of alternative protein products of plant origin (i.e. "milanesas de soja" under its Swift brand); increased marketing of non-animal origin products (i.e. olive oils and potatoes) for the year 2023; as well as product reformulation to increase the share of non-animal proteins within the composition of blended products. However, the company does not explicitly disclose a timebound target to diversify protein sources in the context of alternative proteins. Further, it does not disclose sales/revenue linked to alternative protein sources.

The company discloses that 0.28% of its total supply chain can be classified as non-animal origin products. It offers a plant-based meat substitute, milanesas product, under its Argentinan brand, "Swift". The product consists of breaded soy and is shown plain or stuffed alongside animal protein-based products. Further, it is in the process of investing in alternative proteins. Among its venture capital investments are "The Every Company", a biotechnology company that develops animal-free protein foods, and "Amyris", which focuses on developing fermentation technology using genetically modified yeasts. It discloses explicitly that the production process of "The Every Company" uses ingredients free of pesticides, antibiotics and preservatives while using less water and energy, reflecting its sustainability strategy.