Elvas, November 2021 – The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to achieve the decarbonisation of world economies, recognising that this will significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, with Portugal being one of the European countries most affected. The effects of these changes in the national territory include rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and extreme weather phenomena, which accentuate the pressures on the coastline, the risks of fire, drought and floods.

As the territory is our greatest asset, it is necessary to adapt to its specificities, reducing its vulnerabilities and increasing the capacity to deal with extreme phenomena. For this very reason, AGRICERT – a company specialised in certification – wanted to be part of the journey towards a better and more sustainable agriculture, creating the Low Carbon Livestock (LC) certification. This certification effectively allows measuring the levels of emission and sequestration of greenhouse gases, and thus assess the carbon balance (emissions versus sequestration) of the farm. The aim is to add value to the product and simultaneously stimulate the different economic actors to actively participate in decarbonisation, meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

This certification is aimed at livestock farm owners who wish to balance the levels of CO2eq emissions and carbon sequestration, adding value to their products on the market. Given current trends, it is possible to observe a change in consumer behaviour by seeking higher quality products, produced in a sustainable way. It is notorious the growing environmental awareness of consumers in the choice of products and, of producers in the production and introduction of the same in the market. Therefore, consumers are the main beneficiaries of this certification, as when buying a product with PBC certification, they have the guarantee that they are acquiring a differentiated product, which promotes the balance between the levels of CO2eq emissions and carbon sequestration.

The Low Carbon Livestock Certification certification therefore guarantees, on the one hand, that the owners comply with the procedures aimed at respecting natural resources and contributing to the fight against climate change. On the other hand, it allows raising awareness of the importance of reducing CO2eq emissions while promoting the transfer of knowledge of the procedures necessary to make holdings more sustainable. This certification model gathers all the conditions to become an essential tool in the daily life of a livestock farm, thus enabling the credibility of products and producers to be increased, putting an end to some of the myths surrounding this sector.

Besides all the advantages already presented, in the European Ecological Pact, there is the perception that the carbon footprint may be calculated in a compulsory way, so this certification may anticipate some regulatory pressure for the future.

Everyone will benefit from PBC certification, as you are contributing to a more sustainable agriculture. Join us on the road to a better and more sustainable agriculture. To learn more about CBP certification, (re)view the illustrative video click here.

About AGRICERT:

AGRICERT, Certification Body for agricultural, livestock, forestry and food products, was founded in 2000. It works daily to ensure, in the internal and external market, the existence of safe and quality controlled products, for which it holds several accreditations and recognition by public entities such as the Portuguese Accreditation Institute, the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development and the European Commission.

This daily commitment makes AGRICERT a trusted brand.

WE CERTIFY THE BEST YOU HAVE, WHEREVER YOU ARE.

Maria João Valentim
Constança Moura Laranjo
agricert@agricert.pt
www.agricert.pt