Commitment to biodiversity conservation from the Chilean pig industry

Biodiversity, the natural treasure trove that protects life on our planet, has become a key issue on the global environmental agenda. In this scenario, the Chile Conscious Origin Program, to which Chilean pork producing and exporting companies adhere, identifies areas of high ecological value and establishes management plans to protect wildlife by carefully examining the impact of productive activities on ecosystems.

In December 2022, the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) was approved, laying down a roadmap to 2030 that promises transformative changes for equality, peace, and sustainable development. Latin American and Caribbean countries stand as key actors to achieve the goals of this revolutionary framework.

The region’s extraordinary biological and cultural wealth puts it in a privileged position, which is why the KM-GBF focuses on this area, recognizing its potential to move towards a more sustainable future. Forestry, agriculture, and fishing in particular play a fundamental role in this transformation.

About 60% of the KM-GBF goals are directly related to these three sectors, which are considered essential drivers of change and therefore required to understand, report, and monitor their potential impact on biodiversity. This special focus is due to the fact that agriculture and food production are key to preserve biodiversity.

The new framework proposes ambitious targets given the scale of the global biodiversity crisis. One of them has to do with spatial planning with a focus on biodiversity: the restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems and the conservation of 30% of land and marine ecosystems. These challenging goals reflect the need to act in accordance with the urgency of the current situation.

In this scenario, programs such as Chile Conscious Origin (ChOC) and its standards for the pork and poultry industries demonstrate Latin America’s commitment to biodiversity conservation. The standards identify areas of high ecological value and establish wildlife management plans, assessing the impact of productive activities on the preservation of ecosystems. Member companies implement specific measures, such as management plans, the mapping of priority areas, and the registration of local species used in areas of plant growth.

“The implementation of the KM-GBF and the adoption of programs such as ChOC in various food-producing industries mark the beginning of a sustainability transformation in Chile and across Latin America and the Caribbean. These efforts not only protect our natural resources, but also contribute to the sustainable and equitable development of the region. It’s time to take on the challenge and work together to build a future that is in harmony with the biodiversity around us, thus preserving our natural heritage for future generations,” explained Daniela Álvarez, ChileCarne’s Sustainability Manager, association that represents the ChilePork brand under which Chilean pork is promoted in various countries.