Instruments in Mercosur countries to support EUDR compliance in Beef Supply Chains

This publication was developed by Proforest in collaboration with Solidaridad and Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) and supported by Program SAFE – Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems - European Union, German Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and GIZ. It provides an overview of the main existing instruments in four MERCOSUR countries, which contribute to compliance solutions with the new European anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR) focusing specifically on the beef sector in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

This is a study that collected data from primary and secondary sources, both public and available on the internet, related to news, decrees and government reports. This includes updates from official government agencies, civil society and sectoral reports related to the EUDR and its interrelation with traceability, monitoring and transparency instruments and solutions in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The data analysis was carried out with the aim of examining the content of the data collected and identifying patterns and common points, as well as the most relevant updates, aiming at specific and cross-assessments of the four MERCOSUR countries in scope.

There were 15 instruments assessed with potential contributions towards compliance with EUDR requirements. Predominantly, these instruments are characterised by being public, with government leadership or originating from a set of partnerships between public and private institutions, focusing on the provision of tools at the national level. In some cases, we also evaluated private tools, such as guides, protocols, and sectoral guidelines, with the potential to contribute significantly to the EUDR compliance process, whether in traceability, legal compliance, or monitoring suppliers.

By assessing the available public information, in addition to discussions in sector-specific forums, this publication illustrates the common challenges, the status of available instruments as of February 2025 and the stakeholders involved, seeking to present an integrated and regional view of the progress and needs on EUDR requirements by beef supply chain actors in four countries of the economic bloc.