Sustainability

Sustainability | Efficient production | Forest Nursery | Moinho Cultural

J&F Investimentos designs guidelines, goals, and objectives for the continuous enhancement of its operational performance, developing efficient and sustainable production processes.

The company also has a Responsible Raw Material Purchasing Policy which determines socio-environmental criteria for the selection of its suppliers.

In addition, the group promotes social actions by creating projects with strong values and solid impact on society, which lay the foundation for a fair and thriving Brazilian outlook. These initiatives involve fields such as education (employment and professional capacity training), environment (preservation of forests and management of water resources) and tackling corruption.

The environmental projects carried out by J&F include 345,000 hectares of environmental conservation and reforestation areas, educational programs for environmental preservation and support for small and medium-sized farmers.

J&F Mineração and its subsidiary, MCR (Mineração Corumbaense Reunida), both follow all guidelines and goals of the J&F Investimento Group, adopting the best operating practices and developing sustainable projects which contribute to the socioeconomic development of the regions where it operates.

Efficient production, towards a sustainable steel production

The goal of J&F Mineração is to become a unique and reliable solution towards a sustainable steel format within the production chain, allowing for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

80% of iron ore production of the Santa Cruz and Urucum mines is carried out through the dry beneficiation process, minimizing the use of water and dams. As of July 2023, a new filtration system will completely eliminate the use of dams. In the medium term, the goal is for 100% of production to be carried out through dry processing.

J&F’s main product is lump iron ore. Due to its high concentration of iron, it is an ecologically efficient alternative for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in steel production.

The reduction in emissions generated by J&F’s lump is around 70 kg of CO2 per ton of steel, when replacing the sinter agglomerate, and 0 kg of CO2 per ton of steel when replacing the iron ore pellet..

J&F is also developing a new product, the ‘natural pellet’, to be applied in the steel production route, using Direct Reduction and electric furnace technologies between 6% and 15% in relation to steel production using 100% pellets.

For the coming decades, new technological advancements aim at replacing natural gas with green hydrogen, which will allow for the production of green steel which is carbon neutral. &F’s ‘natural pellet’ will be one of the inputs for the production of green steel.

Environmental conservation and reforestation: Forest Nursery

&F Mineração and MCR were recognized by IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) for the Degraded Area Recovery project and Forest Nursery, an initiative that promotes the cultivation of native species, later used for replanting in mining areas.

In 20 years, more than 2.5 million regional native seedlings have been produced. The project relies on a seed bank that will allow for future preservation of species. Since 2006, more than 200 hectares of exploited areas have been recovered – using 117 species of 94 genera and 36 botanical families. Concurrently, J&F Mineração conserves 1,500 hectares of native vegetation through the acquisition and preservation of farms in the vicinity of its operations.

The Forest Nursery program includes topographical and landscape reconfiguration by planting seedlings, launching an array of native seeds and biomass, controlling erosion processes, construction of artificial perches to attract fauna and a program to tackle the preservation of exotic species.

Moinho Cultural Sul Americano

The Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano is a non-profit organization that provides for youngsters and teenagers who are experiencing social risk and is supported by J&F Mineração in its initiatives in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Among Moinho Cultural’s initiatives, the following stand out:

Over 2.09 million hours of classes and technical training provided.
284.5 million cubic meters of water treated by companies of the group.
345 thousand hectares of environmental conservation and reforestation areas.
Over 11,300 children and youngsters who benefited from the group’s actions in the fields of education and insertion into the job market.
Over 4,500 children from communities of the Três Lagoas region (State of Mato Grosso do Sul) received free oral care kits.
Over 164.7 thousand individuals received professional courses.
Partnership with the Special Chefs project, which promotes social inclusion of individuals with Down Syndrome through gastronomy courses.
Over 370 individuals with disabilities trained for the job market through the Experimental Works Workshop project, in partnership with APAE (Association for Parents and Friends for Disabled Individuals) regional units.