On June 18, 2025, the Brazil Program at the Inter-American Dialogue hosted a roundtable on sustainable ranching, aimed at exploring how livestock systems across the region can reduce their environmental impact while remaining productive and competitive.
The conversation featured Alexandre Berndt, researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), who shared advances in livestock systems to reduce emissions and improve land use; Gabriel Serber, vice president of social impact and sustainable development at Arcos Dorados (the largest McDonald’s franchisee in Latin America), who discussed the private sector’s commitments and ESG practices; Leonel Almeida, manager of sustainability and communication at Marfrig, who explored pathways to scaling sustainability across the beef supply chain; and Edegar Oliveira, director for conservation and restoration at WWF Brazil, who emphasized the importance of aligning productivity with biodiversity protection, supported by effective monitoring mechanisms and community-based approaches. The event was moderated by Bruna Santos.
The dialogue fostered a dynamic exchange on emissions reduction, land use, producer incentives, and multistakeholder collaboration between public institutions, agribusiness, and rural communities. These contributions will form the foundation for a paper, which synthesizes the main takeaways and actionable recommendations for advancing sustainable ranching practices across Latin America.
This roundtable is part of a broader initiative led by the Brazil Program in partnership with Embrapa, Marfrig, Arcos Dorados, Harvard Business School, and WWF Brazil, focused on promoting sustainable agriculture in Latin America and contributing to the agenda of COP30. The initiative includes a series of high-level dialogues that will inform policy papers to be launched at Casa Diálogo, our exclusive venue in Belém, Brazil, during COP30.
