Rondônia state in Brazil hits JBS with lawsuit alleging the meat giant illegally sourced cattle from a protected reserve in the Amazon
Mighty Earth says documentation shows JBS knew what it was doing was against the law
Brazilian beef giant JBS and three other meatpackers are facing multimillion-dollar lawsuits in environmental damages for allegedly purchasing cattle illegally in a protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. Documents shows 227 cattle going straight to slaughterhouses from the protected areas of Jaci-Parana in Rondônia state.
The suits seek some $3.4 million in damages for “invading, occupying, exploiting, causing environmental damage, natural preventing, and regeneration/or taking economic advantage” of the protected lands.
Commenting Mighty Earth’s Brazil Director, João Goncalves, said:
“For JBS to knowingly buy cattle illegally reared on a protected reserve in the Amazon is about as bad as it gets. This alleged brazen flouting of the law shows JBS will stop at nothing to keep the wheels of its industrial meat operation running.
“Mighty Earth recently traced beef products sold in Brazilian supermarkets and sourced them back to four JBS slaughterhouses in Rondônia state which we found were linked to 29,843 hectares of Amazon deforestation since 2021.
“This lawsuit shows the legal noose is tightening on JBS and it’s a graphic warning to banks and investors that the world’s biggest meat company is a major risk to people and planet.”
Useful links:
Mighty Earth Rapid Response beef report from 7 December 2023, linking JBS and Brazilian supermarkets to Amazon and Cerrado deforestation:
Mighty Earth’s response to the proposed JBS IPO and plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE):
For more information or to arrange an interview:
João Gonçalves, Senior Director Brazil at Mighty Earth
Carole Mitchell, Senior Director of Communications
