Certified Organic

1. Certified Organic Beef

2. What is Organic Production? ‘It is a production system, which widely avoids or excludes the use of fertilizers, pesticides, growth promotants and additives synthetically produced for animal feed or vegetal production. As much as possible, the organic agriculture systems are based on crop rotation, the use of animal feces, leguminous, green manure, natural minerals, and plagues and pests biological control issues, in order to maintain the soil’s structure and productivity, purvey nutrients for the plants, and control plagues, weeds and pests’ Source: Organic Agriculture Concept stated in 1984 by the Organic Agriculture Department, USA, Ehlers, 1996

3. What is Organic Production? ‘Organic Agriculture is a holistic system of production management which, encourages and improves the agroecosystem’s health, and in particular, the biodiversity, the biological cycles, and the soil’s biological activity’ ‘The organic production systems are based in specific and accurate production regulations, which goal is to achieve optimal agroecosystems that are sustainable from a social, organic and economic point of view’ Extracted from Directrices for production, processing, labeling and trading organically produced food, Codex Alimentarius Commission FAO/OMS, 1999

4. Uruguay the natural environment

5. Uruguay Natural Resources Uruguay is a country whose natural resources have been slightly modified by the human action. The hydrographical resources in non-polluted agricultural zones positions the country in ideal conditions for organic production Its temperate climate, with marked four seasons and evenly distributed along the year precipitations, favors the development of gramineous, the main vegetal formation in the country. Other formations of importance are the native forest, wetlands, palm-tree forests and coastal sand lands. Source: www.predegtz.com

6. Uruguay Natural Resources Its temperate climate, with marked four seasons and evenly distributed along the year precipitations, favors the development of gramineous, the main vegetal formation in the country. Other formations of importance are the native forest, wetlands, palm-tree forests and coastal sand lands. Source: www.predegtz.com

7. Uruguay Natural Resources key issues: Hydrographical resources of non-polluted agricultural zones Biodiversity Gramineous development (main natural food) Demarcated four seasons Precipitations evenly distributed along the year Native forest, wetlands, palm-tree forests and coastal sand lands Nature’s balance is respected in production Source: www.predegtz.com

8. Uruguay has the highest rate of productive soil in the world: 87% of total surface Source: www.predegtz.com

9. Uruguay land area dedicated to organic production Source: www.predegtz.com

10. Land area under Organic Management Uruguay ranks 6th in the world * Organic hectares Source: IFOAM, SOEL-Survey, February 2003

11. Which are the Certified Organic Beef characteristics? “Certified organic beef must fulfill a set of normatives that must be followed from the stock cattle raiser to the industry, from the production to the processing of beef”

12. Which are the benefits of the Certified Organic Beef? More safety in food: the production is certified in all the stages. Best taste and color of beef. Environmental preservation techniques: protecting from erosion and avoiding soil contamination.

13. Requirements related to pastures ACCEPTED Seeding method: Without herbicides Fertilizers: Pulverized phosphoric rocks (natural phosphates) Natural source of N (dung, compost, humus) Weeds control: Grazing control,mechanical control, fire Seeds: Conventional genetic improvement Animal allotment: Normal allotment. Pastures type:Natural, regenerated, improved and cultivated (prairie) Variety: All the available

14. Requirements related to pastures NOT ACCEPTED Seeding method: With herbicide Fertilizers: Fertilizers with chemical process (superphosphates, soluble phosphates),sources of chemical synthesis (Urea) Weeds control: Use of herbicides Seeds: Transgenic variety Animal allotment: More than 2 adults bovines / Hectare Pasture type: Any that uses not accepted inputs: herbicides,fertilizers, genetically modified organism (GMO) Variety: Transgenic variety

15. Requirements related to breeding • Free range • Lots of space for feeding • Use of seeds not genetically modified • Natural pastures: • Without chemical fertilizer , plaguicides or herbicides. • Use of natural phosphates (without chemical products). • Grazing control

16. Requirements related to fattening and handling • The use of growing stimulants of chemical synthesis is not allowed • Preventive sanitary handling, supervision, longer witholding period • Natural sources of Nitrogen • Animal welfare

17. Requirements related to slaughtering and processing • Traceability systems of cattle identification • Sanitary handling • Booking of records • Animal welfare

18. Requirements related to trade • Proper product certification • Product identification in packaging (labeled as organic) • Full traceability

19. ‘Certified Organic Beef Program’ TacuarembóTM

20. Innovation in harmony with nature Every day more consumers value healthy and natural products without forgetting nutritional value and flavour of food. TacuaremboTM Organic Beef is produced in a completely natural way, thanks to the integration of TacuaremboTM with a select group of cattle breeders

21. Cattle farmers associated with TacuaremboTM ‘Certified Organic Beef Program’ Tacuarembó, Rivera:55 farms Cerro Largo, Durazno, Flores, Florida:3 farms Salto, Paysandú, Río Negro: 48 farms Artigas:12 farms Total: 118 organic farms * June 2003

22. Cattle head allotment * June 2003

23. Averagehectares/cattle farmer 2.727 Bovine stock average / cattle farmer 1.789 Anual profits estimated - U$S 33.496 Hectares in transition (estimated) 598 Other factson Organic Beef production * June 2003

24. TacuarembóTM Organic Beef Program has International Certification

25. The organic beef production of TacuarembóTM is destined to the most demanding markets worldwide.

26. 2003 Third year of TacuarembóTM ‘Certified Organic Beef Program’

27. Facts & figures Third year of TacuarembóTM ‘Certified Organic Beef Program’ Farmers: 132Total area: 380.932 hectaresBovines: 244.419 headsOvines: 350.782 heads Average production : 2.886 hectares 1.852 bovines 2.657 ovines

28. What is Traceability? Traceability allows to identify the origin of each animal or each product, as far in the productive chain as necessary. It offers the possibility of finding the history and the tracking of an entity, by registered identifications.

29. Information that guarantees reliability The commitment of TacuarembóTM with consumers is to provide them food reliability. Through our Traceability System we certify the origin of all our products. We start with the individual identification of the animals, since their birth until their meat consumption, involving a thorough knowledge about their origin, evolution, health, feeding and slaughtering.

30. Information that guarantees reliability What was just beef before, TacuarembóTMhas now turned it into a complete database for customer service.

31. Contact us Further information on Certified Organic Beef | eco@ft.com.uy Sales Department | ftsales@ft.com.uy Website | www.ft.com.uy

32. Total or partial reproduction forbidden without Tacuarembo´s prior agreement September, 2003