ESGpec develops digital solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of livestock farming
- Daniela Maciel
- Oct 24
- 2 min read
Mineira ESGpec simplifies measuring the carbon footprint of livestock farming.
Integrating ESG practices into core economic activities, especially those with the highest volume and highest returns within the national economy, seems—and often is—a major challenge. In livestock production, the challenge is twofold and involves responsible practices that have immediate repercussions on the criteria used to select suppliers in the international market and also on productivity, directly impacting the competitiveness of products both within and outside Brazil.
To meet the sector's demands, ESGpec, a Belo Horizonte-based startup, aims to develop simple, applicable solutions for sustainability diagnostics and regenerative practices in agriculture. According to ESGpec co-founder Heloise Duarte, the goal is to offer tools that simplify the generation of data and information in the field, measuring and proposing actions to mitigate the carbon footprint of livestock farming.
"We see Brazil as a great space for experimentation when it comes to ESG, but in the field, we face a lack of digital maturity among producers. We need to make contact with digital technologies more enjoyable. We've created tools to assess animal welfare, a carbon footprint calculator, and more. Through our platforms, cooperatives, activists, and industries can access and evaluate this information. Any dairy producer—an individual—in Brazil can, through a simple questionnaire, calculate their carbon footprint and obtain an animal welfare score, free of charge," explains Heloise Duarte.
ESGpec's revenue is generated through business-to-business (B2B) contracts with companies, with its main clients being cooperatives, dairies, and input, pharmaceutical, and nutrition industries. However, its main segments are milk collectors and large producers.
ESGpec's work is aligned with the goals of the State Climate Action Plan (PLAC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. The PLAC's goal is to reduce methane (CH₄) emissions from livestock farming by 36% by 2030, compared to the previous decade.
"My client is the industry—the food processor—which needs to have calculations and information from the entire production chain. Scientific research shows that, in the final product that reaches supermarket shelves, 75% of the carbon footprint is within the farms. These companies are legally required to submit reports, including to their headquarters outside Brazil. There's no way to achieve low-carbon milk production or reduce emissions without working on the farm—and that's where we come in," he points out.
By promoting ESG in livestock farming, ESGpec contributes mainly to the following SDGs :
8 – Decent work and economic growth: promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all;
12 – Responsible consumption and production: ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns;
17 – Partnerships and means of implementation: strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.
In August, Heloise Duarte won the Sebrae Mulher de Negócios 2025 Award , Minas Gerais stage, in the Science and Technology category.
Article published in the Diário do Comércio:
