Brazilian labor officials filed a significant legal action Wednesday targeting JBS, the world’s biggest meatpacking corporation, alleging the company purchased livestock from ranches operating under slavery-like working conditions.
The civil lawsuit, filed in a labor tribunal in Para state in northern Brazil, demands compensation of nearly 119 million reais (approximately $24 million), representing the complete value of business dealings between JBS and the problematic suppliers, according to prosecutors.
Court documents reveal that 53 workers were freed from ranches owned by seven cattle suppliers who conducted business with the meat processing giant from 2014 to 2025. These ranch owners appeared on Brazil’s government database of employers found guilty of subjecting employees to slavery-like working environments, prosecutors stated.
The legal filing accused JBS of displaying “a systematic pattern of negligence.” Company representatives have not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
Brazil leads global beef production, responsible for approximately 20% of worldwide output. The South American country has recently overtaken the United States, which now produces roughly 19% of the world’s beef supply, based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Brazilian labor prosecutors emphasized in their statement that cattle ranching generates the largest number of worker rescues across the country and serves as a significant factor in Amazon rainforest destruction. Para state falls within the Amazon basin.
In March, the Office of the United States Trade Representative placed Brazil among 60 nations being examined for forced labor practices.
JBS holds the position as the globe’s largest meat processing corporation, valued at roughly $17 billion in market worth. The company runs facilities throughout the United States, including operations in Colorado, where employees conducted a three-week work stoppage earlier this year.
