Marfrig improves animal welfare ranking, posts strong financial results

BRAZIL – Marfrig, one of the world’s leading animal protein companies, has reported significant progress in animal welfare and sustainability, alongside strong financial results for 2024. 

The company’s score in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) increased 47%, rising from 28 to 41 points and reinforcing its position in Tier 4 of the global ranking.

The improvement reflects Marfrig’s evolving approach to responsible animal husbandry across its supply chain. 

Notably, the company made marked progress in four of the five pillars assessed by BBFAW, with standout gains in “Supplier Performance in Animal Welfare” and “Reducing Dependence on Animal Foods.”

Marfrig’s operations span across the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, sourcing cattle from around 30,000 direct suppliers and up to 90,000 indirect suppliers. 

The company credits its BBFAW gains to policy updates, global animal welfare targets, and engagement with alternative protein suppliers. 

“This result underlines our commitment to animal welfare and to managing a supply chain that reflects our values,” the company said in a statement.

Marfrig’s score improvement comes amid broader strides in sustainability. In early 2024, the company received recognition from leading ESG rating organizations, including an “A” rating across all three categories—Climate Change, Water Security, and Forests—of the CDP environmental assessments.

It also maintained its position as the top-rated company in its sector by the FAIRR Initiative, a network that evaluates environmental and social risks in the global food sector. These achievements demonstrate Marfrig’s integrated approach to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

Financial gains strengthen long-term vision

Alongside its sustainability milestones, Marfrig posted solid financial results for 2024. The company reported a net income of US$571 million and a consolidated adjusted EBITDA of US$2.77 billion. 

Executives attributed the financial strength to operational efficiency, geographical diversification, and a shift toward high-value protein products.

Advancing sustainability even further 

In partnership with the Sustainable Finance Fund &Green, Marfrig is working to eliminate deforestation from its entire supply chain.

The &Green loan agreement includes clearly defined milestones and incentives tied to achieving full traceability and zero deforestation. 

Farms at all tiers—direct and indirect—must comply with these standards, ensuring that every stage of the cattle lifecycle is verified to be deforestation-free. 

The agreement includes a dynamic interest rate structure, with potential reductions for faster progress on traceability goals.

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