How JBS profits from animal cruelty

In 2022, our investigations found JBS to be linked to deforestation in Brazil’s Mato Grosso region, which is part of the Amazon rainforest. Investigations revealed that JBS indirectly contributed to environmental destruction through its supply chains. Specifically, it was found that JBS sourced animal feed from farms in this region, which had cleared vast areas of forest for the cultivation of soy, a major ingredient in livestock feed.

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Using a complex web of intermediaries, JBS hides its purchases of animal feed grown by farmers involved in illegal land grabs and wild habitat destruction. However, investigators uncovered a troubling case involving soy cultivation on land seized from a traditional Brazilian community. The illegally grown soy was funnelled through a third-party supplier, Bunge, to JBS feed processing plants using a method known as “grain laundering.” This deceptive practice disguises illegally farmed soy, maize, and corn as legitimate crops, allowing them to enter the supply chain unnoticed. 

Once processed into animal feed, it was sent to JBS factory farms, where millions of sentient animals—pigs, chickens, and more—are subjected to harsh conditions. These animals are confined in cramped cages, overfed, and pumped with drugs to prevent diseases in an overcrowded environment, before being slaughtered en masse. The meat from these factory farms is then shipped worldwide, reaching millions of consumers and businesses, often unaware of the environmental and ethical consequences tied to their food choices. This process leaves behind a significant carbon footprint and perpetuates a cycle of cruelty in industrial farming. 

The demand for meat products continues to grow, and JBS profits from meeting that demand. However, this growth comes at the expense of sustainable practices. The company’s large-scale operations are designed to maximise profits by prioritising volume over ethics. By selling billions of pounds worth of cheap meat products to international markets, JBS benefits from economies of scale, even though the underlying practices cause significant environmental harm and raise ethical concerns.