New York Attorney General Sues Meat Processor JBS Over Climate Claims
Last edited Thu Feb 29, 2024, 08:12 AM - Edit history (1)
Story by Heidi Crnkovic ?? 13h
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit today against the American subsidiary of JBS, the world's largest producer of beef products, alleging it misled the public about its environmental impact.
James’ suit centers around claims that JBS USA has promised it will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 despite documented plans to increase production and, therefore, increase its carbon footprint.
In 2021, the JBS Group, JBS USA's global parent company, reported total global greenhouse gas emissions of over 71 million tons, more than the total emissions of some countries. James says her office seeks to stop JBS USA from continuing what she calls false and misleading marketing practices, pay disgorgement of all ill-gotten profits, and penalties.
"As families continue to face the daily impacts of the climate crisis, they are willing to spend more of their hard-earned money on products from brands that are better for the environment," said James. "When companies falsely advertise their commitment to sustainability, they are misleading consumers and endangering our planet. JBS USA's greenwashing exploits the pocketbooks of everyday Americans and the promise of a healthy planet for future generations. My office will always ensure that companies do not abuse the environment and the trust of hardworking consumers for profit."
James also accuses JBS USA of making several misleading claims about its environmental impact, including pledges to curb deforestation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Ban the Batistas, a campaign that’s already made some unlikely bedfellows in its fight against JBS, has voiced its support of the lawsuit. The coalition says it includes American farmers, ranchers, consumers, and investors concerned about the risks and "power grab" by JBS' majority shareholders, brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista from Brazil.[/b
More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/new-york-attorney-general-sues-meat-processor-jbs-over-climate-claims/ar-BB1j4b3f
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You may recall JBS taking a big cash handout from Trump during his "Presidency." He treated the criminal Batista Brothers very well. They're his kind of people, clearly:
Brazil's JBS praises Trump order to keep meat plants open
By Nayara Figueiredo
April 28, 20202:50 PM CDT Updated 4 years ago
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's planned executive order to keep that country's meat plants open will bring certainty to the sector, an executive for Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA said on Tuesday.
JBS Chief Financial Officer Guilherme Cavalcanti praised Trump's decision in a live webcast, after saying the United States only has about 15 days of meat inventory.
Trump plans to issue the executive order on Tuesday, a senior administration official said. The five-page order is designed to give companies more liability protection in case employees catch the virus as a result of having to go to work.
JBS had already closed two U.S. beef plants after workers tested positive, but later reopened them, Cavalcanti said. The company still has one beef plant and one pork factory that remain closed, the CFO said.
More:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jbs-outlook/brazils-jbs-praises-trump-order-to-keep-meat-plants-open-idUKKCN22A337/
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This foreign meat company got U.S. tax money. Now it wants to conquer America.
By Kimberly Kindy
November 7, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. EST
President Trump delivers remarks in support of farmers and ranchers at the White House in May. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
This story has been updated.Two men in cowboy hats stood behind President Trump in May as he announced a $16 billion agricultural bailout. Trump said the financial relief from his trade war with China would help American farmers, reinforcing an earlier tweet when the president said the funds would help “great Patriot Farmers.”
But not all beneficiaries of the taxpayer-funded program are American farmers or patriots. JBS, a Brazilian company that is the largest meat producer in the world, has received $78 million in government pork contracts funded with the bailout funds — more than any other U.S. pork producer.
JBS’s winning hand in securing a quarter of all of the pork bailout contracts is one example of the power a small number of multinational meat companies now hold in the United States. JBS has become a major player in the United States even as it faces price-fixing and other investigations from the federal government.
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A dozen years ago, JBS did not own a single U.S. meat plant. Today, JBS and three other food companies control about 85 percent of beef production. JBS and Tyson Foods control about 40 percent of the poultry market. And JBS and three other companies control nearly 70 percent of the pork market.
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[Trump farm bailout money will go to Brazilian-owned meatpacking firm, USDA says]
More:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/this-foreign-meat-company-got-us-tax-money-now-it-wants-to-conquer-america/2019/11/04/854836ae-eae5-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html
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JBS among meat firms linked to slavery-tainted ranches in Brazil
By Fabio Teixeira
January 5, 20211:48 PM CSTUpdated 3 years ago
RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brazilian meatpackers must clean up their supply chains, labor experts said on Tuesday, after an investigation showed six firms bought cattle from ranches that used slave labor.
Brazil's JBS, one of the world's largest meat processing firms, bought cattle from two ranches that later ended up on Brazil's "dirty list" of companies that employed slave labor, the anti-slavery rights group Reporter Brasil said this week.
JBS said it banned the two firms once they were on the dirty list, but it was unfair to expect JBS to stop working with any ranches facing allegations of slave labor from inspectors as those companies also had the right to defend their actions.
"Reporter Brasil is demanding JBS ... block producers based only on inspections (which) ... would be a disregard for that producer's right of defense before public authorities", JBS told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a statement.
More:
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29A2EV/
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Meat giant JBS linked to illegal deforestation and theft of indigenous land in Brazil
World Animal Protection (PRNewsFoto/World Animal Protection)
NEWS PROVIDED BY
World Animal Protection
03 Oct, 2023, 08:00 ET
New report unveils ongoing evasion of regulations and destructive practices connected to the world's largest meat supplier
NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new investigation conducted by Repórter Brasil in coordination with World Animal Protection reveals that JBS recently bought corn and soy crops from a farming operation that illegally exploits indigenous land, clearing and planting it in violation of Brazilian law.
Investigators visited the farm operation in question, met with neighboring communities, and spoke to workers, including employees in soy crushing plants and transportation, who confirmed the crops were destined for JBS as animal feed. The indigenous communities residing in these regions have voiced distressing concerns pertaining to persistent harassment and intimidation, including confrontations with armed security personnel retained by the grain farmers supplying JBS.
Annette Manusevich, Farming Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, US said: "The ongoing land-grabbing activities that support JBS's profits and expansion are a deeply troubling testament to its disregard for local communities, the environment, and animals. These illegal practices not only strip indigenous people of their ancestral lands but also contribute to environmental degradation and pose a severe threat to wildlife habitats. It is imperative that we confront these unethical practices, demand accountability, and work towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all."
This investigation is a stark reminder of JBSrepeatedly failing to exercise due diligence over its grain supply chain. Instead, the corporate giant operates as a global "meat machine" with a long history of covering up and greenwashing its harmful practices. In fact, this report is further proof that JBS continues to obscure its role in the ongoing relentless deforestation of biodiverse ecosystems in Brazil driven by increasing feed grain production. The company must be held accountable for this ecological disaster, the profound loss of wild animals, and the illegal exploitation of indigenous land and its people.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meat-giant-jbs-linked-to-illegal-deforestation-and-theft-of-indigenous-land-in-brazil-301944986.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
If you eat meat, you probably buy products made by one Brazilian company. A company with such power it can openly admit to having bribed more than 1,000 politicians and continue to grow despite scandal after scandal. And you’ve probably never heard of it.
Meat is now the new commodity, controlled by just a handful of gigantic firms which together wield unprecedented control over global food production. The Bureau has been investigating the biggest of all: JBS, a Brazilian company which slaughters a staggering 13 million animals every single day and has annual revenue of $50bn.
When it comes to scandals, you can take your pick — during its rapid rise to become the world’s biggest meatpacker, JBS and its network of subsidiaries have been linked to allegations of high-level corruption, modern-day “slave labour” practices, illegal deforestation, animal welfare violations and major hygiene breaches. In 2017 its holding company agreed to pay one of the biggest fines in global corporate history — $3.2bn — after admitting bribing hundreds of politicians. Yet the company’s products remain on supermarket shelves across the world, and its global dominance only looks set to grow further.
In a two-part investigation published today, the Bureau revealed in partnership with the Guardian and Repórter Brasil that Amazon deforestation and dirty meat are very much part of how JBS has done business. Today we lift the lid on the company itself, and ask: what is the true cost of cheap meat?
More:
https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2019-07-02/jbs-brazilian-butchers-took-over-the-world/
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VIDEO: The Butchers from Brazil: The corporate colossus devouring Australia's food business
Posted Mon 25 Apr 2022 at 5:30amMonday 25 Apr 2022 at 5:30am, updated Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 2:15am
The Butchers from Brazil: The corporate colossus devouring Australia's food business
"The control they exert is enormous." Pork producer, Victoria
JBS is the corporate food giant you've probably never heard of, but it controls a huge amount of the food you eat, owning some of the most popular brands found in our supermarket aisles, from Coles and Woolworths to Aldi. You'll also find their meat between your burger buns at McDonald's.
"If you walked down the street and said, 'Who's JBS?' No one would know. I think that's been clever in the sense they've created brands within their brand." Cattle producer and butcher
From beef and pork to lamb and even salmon, JBS's products end up on countless Australian plates. What many consumers don't know is the scandalous corporate practices behind the company.
"I think it will come as a surprise to a lot of your viewers that a Brazilian company, linked to so many scandals across so many continents…has been allowed to come into Australia and expand in the way that it has." Investigative reporter, UK.
Four Corners investigates the corporate colossus that has taken a major slice of Australia's food production sector while being exposed internationally for bribery, corruption and environmental vandalism.
"JBS is a company under investigation in many countries except Australia, where they seem to be encouraged and supported and where no powerful person seems willing to say anything against them." Author, Tasmania
More:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-25/the-butchers-from-brazil:-the-corporate-colossus/13853830