Brazilian Beef Export: Traceability as a Production Chain Management Tool

This study aimed at searching the Brazilian beefproduction chain actors perception about SISBOV and theconsequences that traceability system has brought to theBrazilian beef producers exporting to the EU. For that purpose itwas used the Collective Subject Discourse qualiquantitativemethodology, tool that allows making it known the collectiveopinion about a specific subject. The survey was based upon asample of thirty-four persons, both genders, most of them with ahigh level of education, belonging to five different categories ofactors related to the cattle production in Brazil: farmers,slaughterhouses, certifying companies, class associations andgovernmental regulatory organizations. Results have shown thatSISBOV is perceived as a feasible traceability system forwealthier farmers dealing with exports, considering the criticalcosts for certifying the farms without revenue guarantee, due tothe slaughterhouses monopoly power. As an advantage, SISBOVis perceived as a better way of managing the farms, promotingthe cattle sanitary quality. Nevertheless, it must be pointed outthat the traceability exigencies from several countries puttogether tarifary barriers that contradict the free tradeapproach, also taking into account the lower disease prevalencein extensive cattle growing as it is observed in Brazil