Do Pasto ao Prato (From Pasture to Plate): App for meat supply chain transparency in Brazil

Published on June 13, 2022

The smartphone app called Do Pasto ao Prato, meaning “From Pasture to Plate”, provides information to supermarket customers in Brazil about meat products, such as its environmental and social performance. The app is based on a citizen science approach – engaging the general public – to increase transparency in the supply chains of meat products in Brazil, from origin to point of sale.

Trase, a data-driven transparency initiative, developed Do Pasto ao Prato app in partnership with investigative journalists Repórter Brasil and the Belgian university, UCLouvain. The app is currently in a test phase and feedback is being sought from civil society groups and businesses across the sector. It is currently limited to beef, but there are plans to include chicken and pork.

An Android version is free to download with an iOS version to be published shortly. The information – freely available on the Do Pasto ao Prato website – will become a key resource for civil society and businesses to engage around the challenge of sustainable procurement and retail.

The importance of this app is mainly on increasing transparency in the meat supply chain.

Food retailers in Brazil provide little or no information on where the meat they sell comes from, creating a barrier for customers who want to support progress towards sustainable and ethical farming. Some companies in Brazil’s livestock sector are linked to impacts including deforestation, human rights abuses, and poor animal welfare and hygiene standards.

The app helps shoppers make informed choices – they can scan multiple products, compare their scores on the issues that matter to them, and then vote with their wallet. Besides, the app will help Trase, a data-driven transparency initiative, to shine a light on the links between domestic meat consumption in Brazil and sustainability impacts.