In this manner, paving the way that would eventually lead to its greatest leap in 2017, when it acquired nine beef abattoirs in South America, establishing itself as the most diversified beef producer in terms of location, products offered, and presence in the external markets. Having completed 25 years of activities, it now operates plants in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, becoming the largest exporter of beef in South America.

As a result of its process of international expansion, Minerva Foods founded Athena Foods in 2018, a subsidiary based in Chile, which became the head of all the industrial operations and distribution centers of the parent company outside Brazil. With a total of 27 industrial units producing more than 17,000 types of products, catering to more than 61,000 customers in the domestic markets and to approximately 104 countries in Asia, Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Americas, the Middle East, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union. In 2019, the Company operated 14 international offices (Algeria, Australia, Chile, China, Egypt, United States, Hong Kong, England, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan) and at the start of 2020, an additional office in Dubai. 102-6

Minerva is also composed of our Trading Division, which operates the live cattle, protein, energy, and third-party product resale segments.

Our positioning reveals not only the operational and commercial capacity of the Company but also the ability to meet the most stringent customer requirements in terms of governance, sustainability, and best practices. This has allowed the Company to break down the barriers and enter into demanding markets. This status is further evidenced by the fact that Minerva Foods is listed in the Novo Mercado segment of B3 S.A. – Brazil, Bolsa Balcão, which gathers shares of publicly traded companies with the best levels of corporate governance in the market. 102-5

This corporate culture extends to 18,469 employees, both from our own and independent third-party professionals, throughout the various businesses in the countries in which we operate. This structure has enabled the slaughter of 3.5 million head of cattle in 2019, a volume 3.4% higher than the previous year. 102-8

The Company also obtained the highest gross revenue in its history, R$ 18.2 billion, surpassing the previous year’s result by 6% with 66% originating from exports, highlighting the characteristics of a global player. 102-7