Paraguay and the European Union Promote the Registration of Meat Producers on the RETSA Traceability Platform

The awareness-raising and registration campaign for production units on the RETSA Meat Paraguay platform was successfully carried out nationwide, with the participation of nearly 200 livestock producers from different regions of the country. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) in partnership with the Rural Association of Paraguay (ARP), received support from the European Union through the AL-INVEST Verde programme, consolidating a public-private collaboration model aimed at strengthening the sector’s socio-environmental traceability.

The campaign was structured in three stages. It was launched at ARP headquarters, marking the beginning of the promotion and dissemination of the system. Subsequently, sessions were held in the Central Chaco, in Filadelfia and Mariscal Estigarribia, where producers took part in technical workshops on the RETSA system and the context of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Finally, the campaign expanded to the eastern region with an event in Curuguaty, broadening the initiative’s territorial reach.

The process concluded on 11 May with a closing event at ARP’s headquarters, bringing together producers, authorities and sector representatives. The event was attended by the Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Vice Minister of Industry Javier Viveros, alongside other representatives from public institutions, leaders from the productive and academic sectors, civil society organisations and members of the general public.

RETSA Meat is a key tool for integrating production and socio-environmental traceability, facilitating compliance with international standards and access to high-value markets, in line with new European and international regulatory requirements.

Registration enables the identification of the origin of production and, through RETSA PY, the issuance of a traceability certificate confirming both the absence of deforestation after 2020 and compliance with current national legislation. Through this campaign, Paraguay is making progress towards consolidating a more transparent and competitive livestock sector that is aligned with international market requirements.

About AL-INVEST Verde

AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union (EU) programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 2, led by FIAP in consortium with IILA, the programme provides assistance to strengthen public policies and multi-stakeholder dialogue on sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental and labour standards, as well as sustainable trade and economic policies and regulatory frameworks.