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# JBS and partners initiate "Embrace the Pantanal," a project aimed at safeguarding 2.5 million hectares of the biome's native areas.
- URL: https://cibocom.ghost.io/jbs-and-partners-initiate-embrace-the-pantanal-a-project-aimed-at-safeguarding-2-5-million-hectares-of-the-biomes-native-areas/
- Published: 2022-06-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T15:01:13.000Z
- Author: Cibocom
- Tags: JBS, beef, pork, poultry

The Abrace Pantanal initiative stands as one of the globe's most significant environmental preservation projects, focusing on swift fire detection and enhanced firefighting efforts, as announced by JBS. This collaborative effort in the Pantanal marshlands involves the local community, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector, launching an unprecedented project in Brazil aimed at conserving 2.5 million hectares of the Pantanal's native areas, a crucial global biome. Introduced on June 8, the project's primary goal is to minimize forest fires in the area through early fire detection, rapid response by well-equipped and trained forest brigades, and the creation of analytical, operational, and community impact data. Named Abrace Pantanal, this initiative is among the world's largest environmental conservation projects focusing on quick fire detection and improved firefighting. It involves collaboration with umgrauemeio and includes participation from the Brigada Aliança, the Instituto Homem Pantaneiro (IHP), the Polo Socioambiental Sesc Pantanal, and JBS. To put the project's scale into perspective, the 2.5 million hectares of native area to be protected are nearly equivalent to the size of Belgium. "In 2020, it was alarming to witness 26% of the Pantanal, a key UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, being engulfed by fire, affecting over 4 million hectares, killing approximately 17 million vertebrates, and releasing millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere," recalls Osmar Bambini, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and co-founder of umgrauemeio. Following this event, an initial action plan was devised to develop a Pantanal monitoring strategy. This effort brought together representatives from the public ministry, scientists and researchers, NGOs, and the private sector to support local institutions historically involved in combating fires in the biome. The swift response is made possible through the synergy of various expertise and technologies, such as the early fire detection system by umgrauemeio, the communication, mobilization, and firefighting planning capabilities of the three independent management centers Brigada Aliança, IHP, and Polo Socioambiental Sesc Pantanal, and funding from JBS for equipment purchase, installation, and brigade support. The integration of information, such as brigade locations, available resources and equipment, activation time, travel time to the fire site, firefighting and extinguishing duration, and contact with surrounding landowners, enables rapid emergency responses. Educational fire prevention initiatives within nearby communities are also planned. Early fire detection by the Pantera® software, an integrated platform for managing forest fire combat developed by umgrauemeio, is achieved through an artificial intelligence algorithm that automatically identifies fire outbreaks from high-resolution camera images installed atop communication towers and notifies system operators. Each camera can detect fire outbreaks in seconds, pinpointing the exact location, which speeds up combat protocols. Initially, cameras were installed on 11 existing towers, each covering an area of over 70,000 hectares, providing images for the system's computational vision in this first project phase, sponsored by JBS. The company's contribution to the Pantanal totals R$ 26 million over four years, with R$ 8 million allocated for tower installation. Additionally, satellite heat point detection and fire risk indices may supplement protection for less human-impacted areas, completing the Pantera® solution. In this initial phase, over 2.5 million hectares are monitored by the solution, starting with the Serra do Amolar territory, a central Pantanal region governed by the IHP, which saw over 90% of its protection network compromised by the 2020 megafires. The infrastructure provided by umgrauemeio for camera operation, communication network, energy, data transmission with local and remote maintenance, keeps the system operational 24/7\. Abrace o Pantanal is part of a larger initiative, Abrace a Floresta, offering a holistic view of real-time fire combat monitoring and management, alongside biodiversity protection through the Pantera® platform. Currently, about 20% of global emissions originate from forest fires, and umgrauemeio's efforts, following this first phase launch, aim to expand the preserved area in the Pantanal and extend the project to other national parks and reserves, such as Chapada dos Veadeiros (Goiás) and Chapada dos Guimarães (MT), as well as Amazon areas. "These resources and satellite information provide significant advantages for fire outbreak detection," states Liège Correia, Sustainability Director at Friboi. "Initiatives like this benefit the entire cattle farming value chain, as fires devastate ecosystems, severely damage rural properties, and release polluting gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming," the executive highlights.