Mapping the cattle supply chain in Brazil: Transparency and transformation through citizen science

SPEAKER: Erasmus zu Ermgassen, UC Lovain

DATE: 20 February 2026

ACTIVITY: CEDLA LECTURE

The cattle sector in Brazil is dogged by accusations of deforestation, forced labour, and food safety scandals. One reason why these challenges persist is the lack of transparency: the link between beef products and their impacts is hidden from the consumer. This presentation will introduce the do pasto ao prato (in English, from pasture to plate): a citizen science initiative and app launched in 2021 to increase transparency in the cattle supply chain. By verifying the origin of meat products available on the supermarket shelf, the 9k users of the app, to date, have helped crowdsource a map of the suppliers of retailers across the country. The lecture will reflect on the experience with citizen science, advocacy, and the potential for radical transparency to transform the status-quo of slow-to-mobilise industries, like the meat sector.