In BRF, 2024 was the turnaround year. The owner of Sadia and Perdigão transitioned from years in the red zone to their most significant profits ever, at 3.69 billion reais. Income was also record-breaking, with an increase of 11.4% to R$61.4 billion.

An improvement in chicken prices, following a challenging 2023 for the sector, amid a global oversupply scenario, boosted results. However, the real difference emerged from a process that began to take shape two years prior, when Marfrig took over, bringing an end to the company’s erratic journey as a corporation.

The owner’s eye granted the focus to extract efficiency in each small step. A program named BRF+, created in late 2022, already generated over R$4.2 billion in savings until the end of the first semester of this year. There were no silver bullets. In the field, bird deaths dropped from 6.5% in 2022 to 4.5% this year, and for swine from 4% to 3%. The amount of animal feeding needed for each kilogram of meat dropped by 5%.

In the industry, animal yield increased by more than four percentage points: in other words, the same animal produces more meat. “When you combine all of this, it is equivalent to saying that BRF gained a new, large-scale factory during this period, without spending a single real,” says CFO Fabio Mariano.

The same happened in logistics, where the level of order delivery to customers increased, and discounts granted for products closer to their expiration date were reduced, from 6% of revenue in Brazil to less than 1%.

“The record results we achieved in 2024 reflect the consistency of the work we began more than two years ago, under a new strategic direction, with a focus on efficiency, taking advantage of market opportunities, and financial discipline,” says CEO Miguel Gularte. “The figures are the result of continuous improvement in operating indicators and the consolidation of our high-performance culture with the dedication of a team of excellence.”

In a naturally cyclical sector, the philosophy is to focus on the processes that can be controlled to smooth out the ups and downs of commodities. This year, what began as an investment turned into a complete merger with Marfrig to form MBRF, a giant with more than R$150 billion in revenue and a diversified portfolio across proteins and geographies that brings even more resilience