Press release - 27 March, 2017
São Paulo, 23 March 2017 - The Brazilian government has fined JBS, the largest meat producer in the world, for more than 24 million Reals – over $7 million US dollars – for buying cattle from illegally deforested areas in the Amazon. Consequently, Greenpeace Brazil has decided to immediately suspend existing negotiations with the company based on the Cattle Agreement signed in 2009, which required meatpackers to scrutinize sourcing and monitor farms for social, environmental and labour practices.
“Greenpeace considers the accusations against JBS to be extremely serious, and therefore we are suspending negotiations with the company until it can prove that the meat is free of deforestation, slave labour and conflicts with indigenous lands or protected areas,” said Tica Minami, Amazon Director of Greenpeace Brazil.
As a result of operation “Cold Meat” (Carne fria), made public just a week after an international scandal exposing corruption and breaches in sanitary control of Brazilian meat exports, the country’s environmental agency, IBAMA, embargoed two JBS plants in Redenção and Santana do Araguaia, in Pará State.
The purchase of cattle from illegally deforested areas is an environmental crime and breaches a Plea Agreement (Termo de Ajuste de Conduta – TAC, in Portuguese) signed in 2009 between the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and 69 companies, including JBS.
JBS is also a signatory in the voluntary Zero Deforestation Amazon Cattle Agreement, in which it has committed to exclude source farms involved in any deforestation, slave labour, or invasions of indigenous lands and protected areas. The illegal practices exposed by IBAMA constitute a blatant violation of the terms of the commitment. Greenpeace will continue its dialogue with Minerva and Marfrig, the other signatories of the agreement.
ENDS
Contacts:
Camila Rossi, Communication Officer, Greenpeace Brasil, + 55 11 9 7252-6867 / 11 9 8152-8476, 
Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), 