Cattle in a Brazilian feedlot

AFTER years of eradication work, Brazil has this week been declared Foot-and-Mouth Disease free without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The development has profound implications for international beef trade, with the prospect of Brazil for the first time accessing some of Australia’s higher-value North Asian markets like Japan and Korea, plus the European Union.

For the past three decades, Australia and the US have been sheltered from Brazilian competition in these high-value regions by the biosecurity ban on Brazilian beef over FMD risk. While Brazil will be competitive on price, whether it can compete in more discerning markets on quality grounds, especially in the premium chilled beef trade, remains to be seen, trade sources said this week.

As of this week, Brazil and Bolivia joins 42 other countries including significant beef exporting nations such as Australia, the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the UK as FMD-free without vaccination.

The announcement came at the closing of the annual World Organisation for Animal Health conference in Paris, where Brazil’s chief veterinary officer confirmed the decision. A formal ceremony is planned for June 6, where the Brazilian President will meet with WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran to mark the milestone.

Brazil is already the world’s largest beef exporter, last year shipping 2.9 million tonnes, although the country is heavily exposed to just one export customer – China – accounting for about half of all Brazil’s beef exports.

Game-changing

The president of the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, Roberto Perosa, said the move was a “game-changing moment” for his country.

“It strengthens Brazil’s international reputation and gives us a powerful strategic advantage in negotiations,” he said.

New business

Certification was already opening up new business opportunities for Brazil. The Philippines and Indonesia had shown immediate interest in importing beef offal under the new sanitary status, Mr Perosa said.

Japan is due to send a delegation to Brazil next month, however protocols for access to both Korea and Japan are likely to take some time before trade commences. In the absence of any free trade agreement, Brazilian exports to Japan would come under the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) category, attracting a tariff of about 37.5pc. Australia’s tariff under the JAEPA agreement has trended down from 37.5pc pre-FTA, to 23.5pc (chilled) and 19.5pc (frozen) by 2028.

It is the first time a previously FMD-infected beef producing country of Brazil’s scale has transitioned to FMD disease-free without vaccination status. Previous countries to achieve the feat have had much smaller geographies and herd sizes.

In May last year, Brazil completed its final vaccination campaign against FMD, shifting instead to surveillance and biosecurity measures. At the time, agriculture minister Carlos Fávaro said the milestone “would move Brazil into the elite group of global animal health leaders.”

Originally aiming to complete the project in 2026, Brazil’s aggressive veterinary strategies allowed it to meet its goal a year ahead of schedule.

“WOAH’s endorsement comes after rigorous assessments of Brazil’s health systems, border controls, disease surveillance infrastructure, and the traceability of its livestock. It is also a powerful indicator that Brazil’s livestock health standards now rival those of developed nations,” authorities said this week.

Brazil exported almost $13 billion in beef last year to destinations including China, the United States (where volume has grown substantially this year due to local US production challenges – supplied from Brazil’s FMD disease-free states only), and the Middle east region, solidifying its role as the world’s largest beef supplier.

“This expanded market access not only enhances Brazil’s export potential but also stimulates potential growth within the livestock industry, creating a positive ripple effect across the rural economy and strengthening the financial foundation of small-scale producers and large agribusinesses alike,” a university source said this week.

Traceability aspirations

While Brazil has achieved FMD freedom without a comprehensive individual animal traceability system, the country late last year announced plans to move in this direction in its vast 235 million head beef herd.

Like Australia, Brazil will soon begin tracing individual cattle from birth to slaughter, aiming to make the beef sector 100pc traceable by 2032, agriculture and livestock minister Carlos Fávaro announced in November.

The decision came amid growing international demand for transparency, the Brazilian government said – especially as the EUDR, a new European Union regulation requiring proof that certain imported commodities aren’t adding to recent deforestation – is set to come into force at the end of 2025.

Last year, the Brazilian Roundtable on Sustainable Livestock, which includes both government and beef industry stakeholders, proposed mandatory individual cattle tracing to the agriculture ministry.

Minister Fávaro said a traceability platform would be working by 2027, with progressive uptake over the following eight years.

“It’s legitimate that people want to know the origin of their beef and how the animal was raised before reaching the consumer,” he said.

“The EU regulations set a trend, and while this isn’t the only pressure facing Brazil, the clear criteria drives change.”

Initially, it is anticipated that only a few Brazilian companies will adopt individual animal traceability, to serve the small volume of export beef required by the EU.

But the push for traceability isn’t just coming from Europe. “The trade agreement between China and Brazil includes individual traceability for health monitoring.”

Future livestock traceability may also play other roles for Brazil. The world’s top halal meat exporter has also faced criticism over dubious sustainable halal certifications as it increases exports to Muslim-majority countries including Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Challenges in maintaining FMD status

Earlier, Felipe Masiero Salvarani from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine at the Para Federal University wrote a paper with colleagues including references to the challenges faced by Brazil in maintaining future FMD disease-free status

“This certification represents not only a scientific and logistical achievement, but also an opportunity for enhanced market access and strengthened biosecurity,” Dr Salvarani said.

“However, transitioning to this status involves challenges, including maintaining stringent monitoring and surveillance, managing porous Brazilian border regions, and mitigating risks from neighboring regions with varying FMD statuses.”

“There are potential risks, such as accidental reintroduction and surveillance gaps, which could impact livestock health and trade dynamics in future,” he said.

The widespread use of vaccination had allowed the country to prevent large-scale outbreaks and safeguard the health of its livestock population, Dr Salvarani said. However, transitioning to a vaccination-free status reflected a new phase in Brazil’s animal health strategy—a step that required rigorous disease control and monitoring, but one that also promised significant rewards.

Porous borders represent risk

Achieving and maintaining an FMD-free status without vaccination brings with it a set of complex challenges for Brazil.

The nation’s vast size, covering 8.5 million square kilometres, includes a range of diverse climates and ecosystems. Monitoring and controlling animal health across this vast terrain is inherently challenging, as regions with limited infrastructure or access present logistical hurdles in implementing consistent disease surveillance.

Moreover, Brazil shares borders with countries including Venezuela, Bolivia and Paraguay, where FMD outbreaks are regular. Monitoring animal health across Brazil’s rural and often isolated areas will require substantial resources and infrastructure, including veterinary staff, transportation, and communication systems, authorities say.

These porous borders represent a constant threat, as animals and people moving across these regions increase the risk of FMD transmission into Brazilian territory.

“Any lapses in biosecurity or outbreaks of FMD could damage Brazil’s reputation and lead to increased scrutiny or restrictions from trading partners,” veterinary health specialists warned.

Brazil’s FMD background

Foot and Mouth Disease had posed significant challenges to Brazil’s livestock industry since the early part of the 20th century. Periodic outbreaks severely impacted the agricultural sector, prompting Brazil to implement vaccination programs in the 1950s as a primary strategy for disease control.

In 2018, several Brazilian regions were officially recognized by WOAH as FMD-free with vaccination. Building on this achievement, Brazil set its sights on transitioning to FMD-free status without vaccination. This required phasing out routine vaccination, strengthening diagnostic capabilities, and enhancing surveillance and emergency response systems.

Today, Brazil continues to invest in animal health infrastructure, including diagnostic laboratories, veterinary training, and public awareness campaigns. Cross-border collaborations are also critical to prevent the reintroduction of the virus from neighboring countries.

The strategic rationale behind pursuing FMD-free certification without vaccination is grounded in the economic and trade benefits that such a status confers. International markets, particularly in regions like North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, have strict import requirements for livestock and animal products. These markets frequently impose trade restrictions on countries that use FMD vaccination due to concerns over the virus potentially entering their borders through vaccinated animals.

However, vaccination has been widely studied as an effective mitigation strategy for controlling FMD outbreaks, reducing the spread and severity of outbreaks, particularly in regions where eradication remains a challenge.