Published 7 days ago • loading... • Updated 7 days ago
Brazil prosecutors launch suit against meatpacking giant JBS over beef tied to slavery-like labor
Prosecutors seek nearly 119 million reais after saying JBS bought cattle from suppliers tied to 53 rescued workers.
Labor prosecutors in Brazil filed a lawsuit Wednesday against JBS, accusing the world's largest meatpacking company of buying cattle from farms where workers were held in slave-like conditions.
The filing alleges JBS showed 'a systematic pattern of negligence,' with 53 workers rescued from seven ranches in the Para region of the Amazon between 2014 and 2025.
Prosecutors seek about $24 million in compensation reflecting total transaction value between JBS and suppliers; the company has a market capitalization of about $17 billion.
Brazil is the world's largest beef producer, accounting for about 20% of global production, having recently surpassed the United States, which accounts for about 19% according to the Department of Agriculture.
In March, the Office of the United States Trade Representative included Brazil on a list of 60 countries under investigation for forced labor, while cattle ranching remains a major driver of Amazon deforestation.
1. Labor prosecutors in Brazil filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the JBS meat packer, which they accused of buying cattle from farms where workers were kept in slavery-like conditions.