Sapia - Case Study

Brasilian Feed Industry players explain their participation to Sapia, Feed Industry Improvement System.

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October/2003 -- Officially launched on February 24, 2000, the Sistema de Aperfeiçoamento da Industria de Alimentos (Sapia) was created at the initiative of a group of people from different companies, concerned with developing efficient tools to exchange professional experience in the feed industry. Sapia is designed to enable professionals to acquire knowledge, stay current about industry practices and improve their capabilities, while allowing companies and participants to retain their individual expertise and identity. Currently, Sapia encompasses 12 universities and 151 companies, including premix suppliers, integrators and co-operatives. From the beginning, Adisseo, one of world`s leading feed additive producers, has played a critical role in keeping all these professionals and companies together.

Adisseo: What is your opinion about Sapia?
Esalq/USP: Sapia attracts leading opinion makers. It offers an opportunity to meet representatives of the entire agro industry, involved in both the manufacturing of premixes and the production of poultry and swine. In October 2002, for example, the module on legislation and international directives for the export of meat and meat derivatives attracted people from the Agricultural Ministry, universities and research institutes. That enabled us to get a comprehensive view on the subject. We also discussed the European Union`s position regarding legislation governing the registration and use of products, specially additives, and we learned what the Brazilian Government has been doing about that, as well as what the industry thinks of the restrictions imposed by the importers. These were extremely important points of view, since those restrictions will eventually work for the domestic market, once Brazil follows the trends in the global marketplace.

Adisseo: Do you consider it important to take part in Sapia modules?
Perdigão: For those of us at Perdigão, taking part in such an event has been an enlightening opportunity. In particular, the October 2002 module on legislation and international directives for the export of meat and meat derivatives was the result of a request that we made to Sapia staff, who turned it into a world-class event. It is interesting to point out that this module was exclusively for invited people. Otherwise we would have had four or five times as many participants. The major Brazilian companies were present. I myself had to keep in touch with my company during the event, reporting real time what was being discussed -- given the importance of the subjects.

Adisseo: What are the major qualities of Sapia?
M. Cassab: It`s an independent forum, with no political or economic strings attached, in which all participants can express different points of view. In Brazil today we need to learn how to work with associations, unions, rather than splitting efforts. It`s time to see the big picture, as we do at Sapia.