Argentina submitted its request to the European Union (EU) to be considered a low-risk country in deforestation.
The aim of this request is to facilitate the certification of national beef in the European market.
The management was carried out during the Anuga 2025 fair in Cologne, Germany, where the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA) and national entrepreneurs in the sector participated.
The interest arises from EU Regulation 1115, which required that food imported into the Old World be certified as coming from deforestation-free areas.
Although its entry into force was postponed, Argentina seeks to get ahead of these requirements with a novel certification system.
This proves that national beef is highly deforestation-free.
Martín Fernández, chief of staff of the Secretariat of Agriculture, leads the group seeking to position national beef alongside Agustín Tejeda and other official representatives.
“It’s not enough to have the best beef in the world: it’s necessary to position it and facilitate access to international markets,” Fernández said about the country’s commercial strategy.
The Argentine certification system that proves the beef is “deforestation-free”
Within the framework of Anuga 2025, the IPCVA demonstrated to European importers of Argentine beef that the country has a comprehensive system to comply with EU Regulation 1115 on deforestation-free foods.
This is the VISEC platform, the system that allows certifying the traceability of Argentine beef, a development by the IPCVA together with CONICET.
This system considers aspects of forest degradation, deforestation, and legality under the criteria of the European regulation.
Adrián Bifaretti, from the IPCVA, explained to German importers the risk analysis conducted on Argentine livestock.
“Our country has 87% zero risk, this is work that has been done with CONICET,” the official stated during the presentation.
The work presented includes research conducted with the methodology of the European Union’s Environmental Footprint Program.
According to Bifaretti, these studies “demonstrate with scientific evidence the sustainability of our beef“.
Meanwhile, Gerardo Leotta, from the ABC Consortium, highlighted that the VISEC system provides “all the information for importers to comply with due diligence”.
During the fair, importers also tasted beef from the first shipment certified as deforestation-free, from the Arrebeef slaughterhouse.
Presentations of Argentine beef to the EU continue
The presentation on the Argentine certification system will be repeated in the coming days before importers’ chambers from Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and other EU countries.
The presentation surprised German buyers with its scientific rigor.
Therefore, the fair is developing in an atmosphere of optimism for Argentine livestock producers, with Argentine companies making deals at good prices.
The pavilion also features a restaurant where exporters welcome clients to taste Argentine cuts grilled, always certified as deforestation-free.
