To promote knowledge exchange and reaffirm their commitment to sustainability, ChileCarne and its member company, Agrosuper, participated in the international event showcasing global best practices in circular economy, regenerative agriculture, and agri-food sector development.
The 4th Sustainable Agribusiness Conference of the Americas, held from January 22 to 24 in Guatemala City, brought together agri-food leaders from across the Americas to discuss the latest trends in sustainability, environmental management, and circular economy. ChileCarne was invited by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), which promotes the differentiation and market access for U.S. soybeans used in human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in over 80 countries.
The conference, organized by USSEC, attracted industry representatives from Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Chile. It focused on promoting sustainable practices within the food supply chains of the participating countries. The program covered key topics such as regenerative agriculture, carbon emission reduction, and corporate transparency—key pillars for a more competitive and responsible agri-food sector.
María Ignacia Essedin, Sustainability Analyst at ChileCarne, attended the conference as part of the association’s commitment to sustainability and to strengthen international ties to ensure responsible and sustainable practices in meat production. “During the conference, the soybean sustainability protocol was presented, an initiative promoted by the American Soybean Association (ASA) which emphasizes that U.S. soybeans are produced under high standards that prioritize biodiversity, responsible practices, occupational safety and health, and continuous improvement. This approach not only aims to reduce soy’s carbon footprint but also to impact the entire value chain by reducing the environmental footprint of final products, such as meat produced using this input in animal feed,” Essedin explained.
She added, “The Sustainable U.S. Soy certification was explained at the conference. It can be obtained when purchasing certified soy and could apply to products intended for end consumers. This is particularly relevant for meat from animals fed with U.S. soy, as this attribute could be highlighted, facilitating product differentiation in the U.S. market. Furthermore, this certification intends to comply with new regulations, such as those from the European Union addressing deforestation, thereby promoting more responsible supply chains.”
A Program Focused on Sustainability
The event featured a packed agenda with panels and presentations from international experts. Topics included emission management and regenerative agriculture: the strategies used for environmentally responsible production; circular economy: innovations in resource optimization in agribusiness; and the sustainable production of animal protein—particularly relevant for the trade association and its member companies, who have a history of implementing best practices in pork and poultry production. Agrosuper is an example of this commitment. Lorena Contreras, the company’s Deputy Development Manager, who attended the conference, highlighted: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it,” quoting Peter Drucker, the father of modern business management, highlighting the importance of measuring and assessing processes to improve them. That’s what we do at Agrosuper, we use an assessment system and KPIs for each goal,” she elaborated.
Contreras also stressed the importance of these meetings and the opportunities to work with ChileCarne, particularly in sharing experiences and learning about applicable initiatives like measuring the carbon footprint of materials or products from different suppliers, such as soy. For example, to measure the impact related to production and deforestation across producing countries: Argentina, the United States, and Brazil.
The Sustainable Agribusiness for the Americas event served as a crucial platform for building strategic partnerships and exchanging experiences with other international stakeholders. Representatives from ChileCarne and participating companies had the opportunity to communicate the importance of sustainability in meat production and its positive impact on Chile’s competitiveness in global markets.
“One of the most innovative advancements discussed was recent research from Wittaya Aqua, a data and analytics company specialized in aquaculture, which indicates that U.S. soybeans have higher digestibility, optimizing the feed conversion ratio for salmon, which could be replicated in trials with pigs and poultry in Latin America. Inspiring examples of integration between agriculture and livestock farming were also presented, such as fish culture in rice fields enhancing both sustainability and efficiency in food production,” concluded ChileCarne’s representative.
