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Brazil prosecutors launch suit against
meatpacking giant JBS over beef tied to slavery-like labor
[April 30, 2026]
By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
SAO PAULO
(AP) — Labor prosecutors in Brazil filed a lawsuit Wednesday against
meatpacking giant JBS, accusing the company of buying cattle from farms
where workers were held in slavery-like conditions.
The civil action suit before a labor court in the northern Brazilian
state of Para seeks nearly 119 million reais (about $24 million) in
compensation, an amount prosecutors say reflects the total value of
transactions between JBS and the suppliers. |
Employees walk in front of the entrance to the JBS meat processing
plant, July 23, 2021, in Greeley, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski,
File) |
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According to the filing, 53 workers were rescued from properties
owned by seven ranchers who supplied the meatpacking company
between 2014 and 2025. Those employers were listed in Brazil’s
official public registry of companies found to have subjected
workers to conditions that are similar to slavery, prosecutors
said.
JBS showed “a systematic pattern of negligence,” the prosecutors
said. The company did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Brazil is the world’s largest beef producer, accounting for
about 20% of global production. The South American nation
recently surpassed the United States, which now accounts for
about 19% of the global beef production, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
A statement from Brazil's labor prosecutors noted that cattle
ranching accounts for the highest number of rescued workers
nationwide and has also been a major driver of deforestation in
the Amazon. Para state is part of the Amazon region.
In March, the Office of the United States Trade Representative
included Brazil on a list of 60 countries under investigation
for forced labor.
JBS is the world’s largest meatpacking company, with a market
capitalization of about $17 billion. It operates plants in the
U.S., including in Colorado, where workers staged a three-week
strike earlier this year.
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