Environmental

ESG at Bem Brasil is an ongoing reality which is always developing.

For us, every letter of the ESG acronym is taken very seriously. The “E”, which stands for the environment, is assured by the certifications we already achieved - at Araxá unit (MG) we obtained ISO 14001 certification for our environmental management system - and by our thorough production process.

At Perdizes unit, we use the total amount of liquid effluent generated for fertigation. It's worth mentioning that we use the biogas generated in this process in boilers to produce steam and electricity, proving our commitment to circular economy.

Some of our highlights and commitments are:

Sustainable Agriculture;
Waste management and reverse logistics;
Water and effluent management;
Social responsibility;
Ethics, integrity, and compliance;
Circular economy;
Climate change and emissions;
Energy efficiency;
Attraction, development, and retention of employees;
Product quality and safety.

Willing to know more about it? Read our Sustainability Report.

Access the 2023 material

Access the 2022 material

Access the 2021 material

Sustainable Agriculture

We start working with our suppliers way before the potatoes get to the factories, ensuring cultivation is done within the best practices proposed by agricultural, environmental, and labor legislations.

Bem Brasil Environmental Policy Commitments

Environmental protection;
Meet legal and other applicable requirements;
Work on continued improvement and sustainable development to enhance environmental performance;
Ensure efficient management of existing natural resources within an economic scope of sustainable development;
Prevent pollution;
Disclose socio-environmental results and commitments made by the organization;
Foster environmental education.

Collaborating with suppliers

Our assumption is to develop the best agricultural practices, ensuring the quality of the whole production process from the farm to you.

This is why we launched waste management initiatives at our manufacturing units..

We offer organic fertilizers to the farms from which we buy fresh potatoes. Such fertilizers are obtained from the composting of organic waste from our production processes. We also transform liquid waste into nutrients for the soil cultivated by our partner. Such waste is treated in structures built specifically for that purpose.

A third of Bem Brasil's potato suppliers already have the Global GAP international certification, which assures the best sustainable practices in the field.

We are aware of our responsibility in the sustainable value chain, which is why we use circular economy practices and regenerative agricultural principles, fostering organic composting and fertigation (using fertilizers via irrigation) among our partners and fresh potato suppliers.

Currently, an average of 2,000 tons/month of organic compost are produced and 3,000 m³/day are fertigated, totaling around 84,000 m³/month, in a total area of 600 hectares (around 840 soccer fields).

Circular economy

The concept of circular economy is present in numerous production processes conducted at Bem Brasil. Our actions have been a reference of sustainability for the Brazilian industry and have gained prominence in events and publications of our industry.

Waste management and reverse logistics

Bem Brasil seeks to ensure the correct performance at every stage of the process: generation, storage, transportation, and final destination. We produce more than 30 thousand tons of organic compost per year, coming from waste of our main raw material, the potato. This fertilizer brings long-term benefits to the environment and soil health, such as the possibility of partially replacing chemical fertilizers to treat the soil used for planting. As we pay close attention to waste, we included it in our Environmental Policy, which is based on the main Brazilian legislations on the subject, such as the Brazilian National Policy on Solid Waste (Law 12.305/2010); Ordinance 28/2020 of the Ministry of the Environment and the classification of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) NBR 10.004.

Potato waste, our main raw material, is 100% reused as natural food and the production of fertilizer, by composting. The reuse process allows the application of regenerative agriculture concept, through bio-inputs used for a more sustainable production.

Packaging management

We look for partners who work specifically with the food industry, and they must have the appropriate certifications. Furthermore, 100% of packaging waste generated in the production process is recycled.

Also, part of the packaging used at Bem Brasil is recycled by 43 workers in nine Brazilian states, allowing the post-consumer recycling of 953 tons of paper and 272 tons of plastic. Therefore, when conducting the environmental compensation applied to the reverse logistics of our packaging, we received certifications that allowed us to track and prove the correct destination of packaging waste.

Water and effluent management

The conscious use of water resources is part of the company's environmental policy, aligned with procedures and work instructions used on a daily basis in every operation at Bem Brasil. This also happens both to the treatment of water for human consumption and effluents. Bem Brasil units have water treatment plants (WTP) and effluent treatment plants (ETP). Moreover, our water abstraction/catchment allows us to meet all consumption needs in the units.

Climate change and emissions

The effects associated with climate change place the low-carbon economy as paramount for sustainable development.

Since 2018, the company has been composting its organic production waste.

Click here and watch the video

Biodiversity

Respect for biodiversity and the ecosystem is an ongoing practice at Bem Brasil. We combine productivity, high-scale production, and environmental preservation daily.

Waste management and reverse logistics

NASC - Água Santa do Cerrado Environmental Center is an environmental education project integrating agricultural productivity and environmental preservation, valuing the biodiversity of the Cerrado. The center is located at Água Santa Farm, in Triângulo Mineiro and it is open to visitors.

Adherence to the Global Compact

In 2022, Bem Brasil joined the United Nations Global Compact, currently the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. From this initiative, companies align their strategies and operations with the areas of Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-Corruption, developing actions that help face society's challenges.

Help us take care of the planet

For fat disposal, place it in jars or pet bottles and deliver it to authorized collection centers;
Never throw it directly into the sewer and avoid clogging your kitchen plumbing;
Bem Brasil packagings are recyclable. Recycle and dispose of it in the appropriate trash cans.

For more details about Bem Brasil's sustainable practices, click on the link

Seals and recognition

Bem Brasil products bring satisfaction to your table and the environment. Also, as we work to have a better world. Here are the recognitions we have received.

Bem Brasil Sustainability and Quality Certifications

The market has recognized Bem Brasil due to our consolidated results and actions taken having ESG as our baseline.

Ambipar Seal

We have recently received the Ambipar seal (it's a company developing many projects on circular economy, decarbonization, energy, and environmental regeneration), which proves our commitment to recycling, to compensate for our post-consumer packagings, both in Brazil and abroad. We are committed to post-consumer recycling of our packagings throughout the country, in a joint effort with cooperatives and operators in all states.

We recycled 4,476.41 tons of post-consumer packagings in Brazil (75.80% cardboard and 24.2% plastic) throughout the year. Also, 100% of the packaging waste generated in our factories goes through the reverse logistics process

ISO 14.001

In 2023, Bem Brasil could renew the ISO 14001 certification - Environmental Management Systems (EMS) at Araxá unit, fostering an effective environmental management system, which shows our commitment to sustainable practices, environmental protection, continuous improvement of processes and management of socio-environmental risks. In addition to improving environmental performance, this certification has many benefits, such as being compliant with environmental legislation and regulations and fostering sustainability in our operations.

We have received, for the third time, Mais Integridade Seal, endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (Mapa), granted to agribusiness companies with social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and ethical practices. As mentioned before, it is paramount to encourage, recognize, and reward agribusiness companies aligned with integrity from the perspective of social responsibility, sustainability, ethics, and commitment to combat corruption.

Recognition from the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais for our Best Practices with the Environment and Sustainability. Bem Brasil stood out in the state by completing a project in partnership with the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais (Fiemg). This partnership mapped all of the company's circular economy use cases. More than 50 initiatives were identified, placing Bem Brasil at this field's forefront in the state. Among 30 factories from Minas Gerais participating in the project, Araxá unit was ranked in third place and Perdizes unit in seventh.

Most Bem Brasil products have a vegan product certification issued for products made without animal testing and free from ingredients of animal origin. This certification attests to Bem Brasil fries as being completely free of similar ingredients.

Hala Brasil Seal is a certification granted to products , based on the principles and standards of Islamic countries. This certification shows that Bem Brasil's frozen pre-fried fries are safe for export to Islamic countries and, consequently, for consumption by their populations.

Document issued to certify that the products manufactured by the company comply with the rules governing the Orthodox Jewish diet. Bem Brasil's pre-fried fries are also 100% suitable for the dietary customs of Judaism.

Global recognition is supported by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which attests to the implementation of our Food Safety Management System, with actions that validate production free of dangers to consumer health. The seal attests to how efficient Bem Brasil is when producing food safe for consumption.