JBS Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Amazon Deforestation Commitments Amid Supply Chain Concerns

Brazil: April 17, 2025 — As the world’s largest meat producer, JBS SA once again finds itself under the microscope for potentially falling short on its high-profile pledge to eliminate deforestation from its Amazon supply chain by the end of 2025. Despite corporate commitments and technological investments, concerns are mounting from within the cattle industry itself that the deadline is unattainable.

Beef production remains the leading driver of deforestation in the Amazon, and scientists warn that continued forest loss could soon push the region past an ecological tipping point — transforming it from a vital carbon sink into a net emitter. In response, JBS, a Brazil-based multinational that dominates the domestic cattle market, announced an ambitious plan to cleanse its supply chain of deforestation-linked cattle.

However, a joint investigation by The Guardian, Unearthed, and Repórter Brasil — involving interviews with over 35 stakeholders, including ranchers and union leaders across the states of Pará and Rondônia — reveals widespread skepticism that JBS will be able to meet its target.

“There’s certainly a willingness — on their part and ours,” said one rancher, “but to say that all cattle purchased will be deforestation-free? That’s simply impossible.” Several interviewees cited persistent land tenure issues and illegal cattle laundering as systemic obstacles that cannot be resolved in the limited timeframe remaining.

JBS rejected these conclusions, stating that drawing broad inferences from a limited pool of interviews overlooks the company’s broader progress. “Disregarding that JBS works with over 40,000 registered suppliers is irresponsible,” the company said in a statement. “While challenges exist across the sector, we have implemented robust systems and investments that are meaningfully reducing deforestation risks.”

As part of its compliance strategy, JBS has developed a range of initiatives, including the establishment of “green offices” offering technical assistance to ranchers, and the integration of artificial intelligence to monitor supplier activity. In Pará, the company is collaborating with the state government on an ear-tagging scheme intended to track its 26 million-head cattle population by 2026.

Pará’s Governor Helder Barbalho, a proponent of the traceability effort, has acknowledged resistance, particularly from smallholders. The Bezos Earth Fund has pledged R$143 million to assist with the rollout. “We are still mobilising resources,” Barbalho said, “so we can finance this important policy for livestock producers.”

Yet, producers and rural unions remain doubtful. Adelosmar Antonio Orio — known locally as Ticão — of the Tucumaã-Ourilândia Rural Producers’ Union, emphasized that many ranchers lack the necessary infrastructure, such as satellite connectivity and tracking equipment. “Even JBS doesn’t fully understand how this traceability will work,” he said.

Other stakeholders warned that the burden of compliance is falling disproportionately on small and medium-sized ranchers. Cristina Malcher, president of the Commission of Women in Agribusiness, argued that unresolved land tenure issues — many farms occupy contested or public land — make full compliance by 2025 unattainable. “You can’t regularise the environment if you don’t even know who owns the land,” she said.

Interviews also revealed the continued use of intermediaries to conceal cattle origins — a practice known as "cattle laundering." Some producers predicted that loopholes in the traceability system would persist, including shifting the sale to processed meat rather than live cattle to avoid scrutiny.

JBS admitted it has yet to complete mapping its entire supplier network, but claimed progress, stating that over 80% of its annual cattle purchases have been enrolled in a blockchain-based traceability platform. The company emphasized its broader commitments, including its zero-deforestation sourcing policy, AI-driven supply chain monitoring, and its JBS Fund for the Amazon, which supports sustainable development initiatives in the biome.

Nevertheless, the company’s track record has raised red flags internationally. In 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against JBS, accusing it of misleading consumers with overstated climate goals. A bipartisan group of 15 U.S. senators also urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to reject JBS’s bid for a U.S. stock exchange listing, citing multiple reports linking the firm to extensive deforestation.

“JBS cannot solve the industry’s challenges alone,” the company said in its statement. “We are committed to working collaboratively with farmers, ranchers, and partners to ensure a more sustainable future for livestock production in the Amazon.”

With less than a year remaining to meet its self-imposed deadline, JBS is under intensifying pressure to prove that its pledges are more than public relations — and that meaningful transformation of the Amazon cattle supply chain is not only possible, but imminent.