Brazil prosecutors sue JBS, Cargill over labour abuses
Cases target supply chains, seek millions in damages
1 May 2026
1 minute read
By: Brazilian labour prosecutors have filed lawsuits against five firms over labour abuses in their supply chains, with grain trader Cargill and meatpacker JBS among those targeted, Reuters reported, citing a statement on Wednesday.
Prosecutors are asking a court to order JBS to pay around 119 million reais ($23.78 million) in damages in a case in Para state, where workers were found in “slavery-like” conditions in the company’s supply chain.
Cargill is being sued for 109 million reais for “grave violations of human rights” in its soy supply chain in Rondonia state.
The lawsuits stem from a 2020 project to track supply chains aimed at fighting human trafficking and serious labor abuses.
JBS has not yet received notification of the lawsuit, the firm said in a statement, adding that it follows "rigorous procedures" regarding its purchases and cattle monitoring.
Cargill did not respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors also signed deals with nine firms that agreed to improve the tracking of labor abuses in their supply chains.
($1 = 5.0048 reais)
