Urgent Action Needed: Halt JBS's Climate-Harming Growth

My name is Daniela Montalto, and for years I've been campaigning with Greenpeace against industrial livestock agriculture's (aka Big Ag's) destructive march. Together with colleagues and activists in Brazil, I have seen how the Amazon has been destroyed for cattle pasture-and we have all heard the stories about JBS, the world's largest meat producer, with long-standing links to corruption, deforestation, climate wrecking emissions and human rights abuses.

I know the devastating impact of companies that run meat empires like JBS. Right now, we have a crucial opportunity to disrupt their dangerous agenda, and your voice as a concerned citizen is urgently needed.

The billionaire Batista brothers, who built the JBS meat empire on a foundation of corruption scandals and with links to deforestation, are attempting to list the company on the New York Stock Exchange and move it to the Netherlands. This isn't just a routine financial manoeuvre; It's a move built on an assumption of unfettered growth which will lock in a future of spiralling emissions and environmental destruction. We cannot let this happen.

JBS wants to relocate their headquarters from Brazil to the Netherlands. But the spiralling emissions inherent in its plans for a massive global expansion may violate Dutch corporate law, where courts have shown they will scrutinise companies' whose growth plans lead to increased emissions.

So while JBS promises investors beefy returns, the fact is that they are potentially exposing them to the risk of lengthy legal battles in the Netherlands.

JBS's listing on the New York Stock Exchange is another part of the Batista brothers' destructive business plan that risks pushing the global climate over the edge. With this move, the brothers will nearly double their vote share to 85%, and the plan will allow the brothers to cash in shares while maintaining an iron grip on their meat empire . This is a billionaire takeover. It is bad for the planet, but also for shareholders-and this is our chance to stop this plan in its tracks.

We are already seeing cracks in investor confidence. Whispers of doubt are growing as the truth about JBS's destructive practices and deeply flawed governance structures begins to surface. JBS's share price has taken a big knock. Although it has recovered some of its recent losses, at market close yesterday, the JBS share price was still down over 13% since its peak in late April.

Civil society organisations have been sounding the alarm, and some investors are starting to listen. The proposed governance structure is riddled with loopholes, designed to further enrich the Batista brothers while maintaining their iron grip on the company and wreaking havoc on the planet.

Greenpeace International challenged JBS' listing and its move to the Netherlands, calling for governments to step up. Just last week a letter was sent directly to the shareholders, telling them Greenpeace International fully intends to make sure that JBS plays by the Dutch rules once in The Netherlands and will take whatever steps we feel are necessary to ensure that its future growth plans are challenged. And today investors could see an advert in the Financial Times.

The message to the shareholders is very clear: VOTE NO to the JBS listing!

Last month, Greenpeace Brasil protested at JBS's headquarters during a shareholders' meeting. Their aim was to call attention to the company's links to environmental destruction and climate breakdown, coinciding with their launch of a report and website entitled JBS Cooking the Planet.

JBS is a giant, but even giants have vulnerabilities. They rely on a carefully crafted public image, a facade of sustainability that crumbles under scrutiny. They pour staggering amounts into PR which misleads investors and the public. Our strength lies in our collective voice, our ability to expose the truth and disrupt their false narrative.

1. You can help us get the message to shareholders spread wide and far by sharing this article – together we will break through the noise and make sure the message is known at the JBS shareholder meeting on 23 May. The Batista brothers should not have it all their own way.
2. There are many stories JBS doesn't want the public to know. Visit this website from Greenpeace Brasil and share the images with the stories on your social media. Remember to tag @JBS and use #StopBigAg when posting:

3. Last but not least: Sign our petition to urge your government to regulate and stop funding forest and climate destroyers like JBS.

This is our moment to stand in solidarity with the communities most affected by Big Ag and to demand Respect for the Amazon. Your voice online has the power to reach those in power and to amplify the calls for change.

Let's work together to ensure that JBS's reckless expansion plans are stopped in their tracks.