Demand Follows New York Times Investigation that Found Criminals in JBS Supply Chain are Using Chemical Warfare to Degrade Forests for Cattle Ranching
New York, NY (October 30, 2024) – Ban the Batistas today called for a federal investigation into JBS to determine whether the world’s largest meatpacking company knowingly sourced its meat from cattle farms in Brazil where ranchers were found to be engaging in chemical deforestation to clear land for cattle ranching. A new investigation from The New York Times, supported by a Mighty Earth report, found that ranchers in JBS’s supply chain have turned to using chemicals to degrade trees as a new way to evade detection by environmental monitoring systems and Brazilian authorities.
According to Mariana Gameiro, a senior adviser at Mighty Earth, supermarkets have bought cattle from the farms where deforestation occurred, although it is unclear whether any of that meat has sat in our supermarkets. Ban the Batistas is urging a full-fledged investigation by multiple U.S. authorities – from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Commerce to the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress – because JBS’s atrocities touch and impact American markets, farmers, ranchers, and consumers.
“Americans today woke up to another JBS scandal – this time plastered on the front page of The Grey Lady – that uncovered how their criminal network of cattle ranchers is using toxic chemicals to destroy forests and ship their tainted meat into our grocery stores,” said Jason Elan, Executive Director of Ban the Batistas. “Instead of using bulldozers, they’re deploying chemical warfare, proving there is no line they won’t cross to line their own pockets. This latest investigation raises serious questions about the health and safety of the cattle coming from these farms and the meat shipped to our shores, and we believe this warrants a full investigation by multiple U.S. agencies and authorities to determine the full extent of this sourcing and misconduct.”
At the same time, the meat giant, run by billionaire Batista brothers, is pushing to cash in on Wall Street even as its list of violations continues to grow. JBS is seeking an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange, which would grant JBS access to U.S. investor capital that would fund its complete takeover of the world’s meat industry and prices for meat. A group of U.S. Senators have said as much, that a JBS IPO “would further entrench its monopoly power and embolden its monopoly practices.”
“JBS and their criminal associates cannot be trusted, and we call on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to block their IPO efforts until the truth is uncovered,” Elan continued.
JBS, its subsidiaries, and criminal Batista brother owners are subjects of numerous investigations and lawsuits, having faced $240 million in judgements and settlements for price fixing and bid rigging in the last four years alone. The meatpacker’s owner, J&F Investimentos SA, has also pled guilty to US foreign bribery charges in 2020 and agreed to pay $128 million as part of a settlement. Last week, McDonald’s filed a federal lawsuit alleging JBS and other food companies have conspired to fix beef prices by artificially limiting supply.
About Ban the Batistas
Ban the Batistas is an advocacy group fighting to protect American farmers, ranchers, consumers, and investors from the risks of a U.S. stock listing by JBS S.A. and the unchecked power grab by its majority shareholders, brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista. Learn more at banthebatistas.com.
Contact:
Katya Myagkova
