Brazil labor prosecutors have launched legal action against meatpacking giant JBS, accusing the company of buying cattle linked to slavery-like labor conditions, with the case filed in a labor court in Para state. Prosecutors said Wednesday’s civil action seeks nearly 119 million reais, or about $24 million, in compensation they said reflects the total value of transactions between JBS and the suppliers involved.
The lawsuit alleges that 53 workers were rescued from properties connected to ranchers prosecutors identified as suppliers to JBS. Prosecutors said those ranchers owned properties where the conditions were similar to slavery and that JBS bought cattle from those suppliers between 2014 and 2025.
Prosecutors said the action is based on a public registry in Brazil that lists companies found to have subjected workers to conditions similar to slavery. According to the filing, prosecutors pointed to seven ranchers in that registry whose properties were tied to the cattle supply used by JBS during the period at issue.
In the filing, prosecutors said they found what they described as a “systematic pattern of negligence” by JBS. Prosecutors said the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brazil’s prosecutors also framed the allegations within the broader labor and environmental pressures facing the cattle sector in the Amazon region. In a statement, they said cattle ranching accounts for the highest number of rescued workers nationwide and has been a major driver of deforestation in the Amazon, with Para state described as part of the Amazon region.
The lawsuit adds to scrutiny of Brazil’s meat industry internationally. In March, the Office of the United States Trade Representative included Brazil on a list of 60 countries under investigation for forced labor.
JBS, described by prosecutors and the report as the world’s largest meatpacking company, operates plants in the United States as well, including in Colorado, where workers staged a three-week strike earlier this year. The Associated Press reported the case initially on April 29, 2026, and said it was updated on May 7 to remove a photo link that it said included a company name not involved in the abuse allegations.