production with a 9 % share of international trade for the sector . the company is the result of the merger between the two main brazilian food companies perdig o and sadia . we operate in the segments of meats industrialized meats margarines pastas pizzas frozen vegetables and dairy . a publicly listed company since 1980 brf s shares brfs3 began trading on bm & fbovespa s novo mercado in 2006 a segment which lists those companies with high standards of corporate governance mechanisms for protecting shareholders and absolute compliance with the best practices in information disclosure . the company s securities are also traded on the new york stock exchange nyse brfs level iii adrs . given brf s commitment to sustainability of the businesses it has been a component of bm & fbovespa s corporate sustainability index ise since 2005 . . international operation focused on its internationalization the company has been making investments and acquisitions worldwide . in 2011 brf acquired two companies in argentina avex and d nica group and gained the total control of quickfood in an asset exchange . besides the recent acquisitions brf is also building a processed products plant in the united arab emirates which is forecast to be unveiled in 2013 . brf is also expanding its horizons to asia . in addition to opening a sales office in china the company has constituted a joint venture with dah chong hong limited called rising star . sustainability integrated to strategy sustainability is an integral part of our strategy and is incorporated into our mission statement vision and its values . we believe that we must act in a differentiated manner in the market working daily on the basis of a set of guidelines practices and initiatives for achieving positive results simultaneous to economic financial environmental and social aspects . in the light of this vision we have established six priority pillars which permeate our business strategies contributing to the construction of a global food company . 1 total commitment to sustainability ; 2 increasing the focus of sustainability in the value chain ; 3 engagement with stakeholders ; 4 promoting sustainable consumption ; 5 enhancing human capital ; and 6 adaptation to climate change . brf in numbers 2011 net sales r 25 7 billion portfolio with more than 3 000 items 19 commercial offices overseas market value r 31 8 billion 120 000 employees 51 production units in brazil and 11 overseas responsible for 20 % of the world poultry trade leader in global protein production with a 9 % share of world trade 135 thousand people attended the company s social outreach programs