SISBOV pros and cons: the perspective of the beef production chain economic agents in Brazil

From the 1990´s on, the international trade policy from various countries and the consumers perception about the quality of animal based food were influenced by broad reach food unsafety crisis, that were pointed out at that moment. SISBOV, implemented in Brazil in 2002, mandatory to producers to export to countries that require traceability, increased the complexity of the cattle raising management and its costs in the country. This objective of this study was to seek and identify the opinion of producers, slaughters, certifying companies, class associations and inspection and regulatory entities, about the governmental procedures and services that aim at a safe beef production, particularly the SISBOV. The empirical research was carried out by electronic means, with invitations sent to 414 potential respondents all over Brazil, and led to a sample of 34 final respondents, both genders, most of them with qualified academic background. The answers were handled and processed based upon the use of the Discourse of the Collective Subject qualiquantitative methodology. Obtained results indicated the beef production chain actors are dissatisfied with SISBOV, taking into account that the system did not accomplish their expectations. The producers low adherence is, mainly, due to the additional costs to implement the system – even though its contribution to the farms management is recognized - , without any payback guarantee to the participants, considering it is uncertain the payment of additional values for the traced cattle, since the slaughters hold the market power and establish the prices in the transactions with the producers. The producers perceive SISBOV as a previous step to include the farm in the TRACES List, an additional and exclusive exigency to Brazilian beef exporters to the EU, which can be understood as a non-tariff barrier.