JBS’s Statement Regarding The New York Times’ Story

JBS is fully committed to a sustainable cattle production chain in every region that we operate. In Brazil, the Company has maintained, for over 10 years, a geospatial monitoring system that uses satellite imagery to monitor its suppliers in every biome. This system ensures full compliance with the Company’s Responsible Raw Material Procurement Policy and the Cattle Supplier Monitoring Policy of the Federal Prosecution Office (Beef on Track). JBS has no tolerance for illegal deforestation, forced labor, misuse of indigenous lands, conservation units or violations of environmental embargoes. To date, JBS has proactively blocked more than 14,000 supplier farms for failure to comply with our policies and standards and we will continue to take additional actions as warranted.

The challenge for the beef cattle supply chain in general, is to guarantee this same control over the suppliers of its suppliers. To address this challenge, JBS is leading efforts to use blockchain technology to extend its socioenvironmental monitoring through our Transparent Livestock Farming Platform. By 2025, JBS won’t buy from producers not incorporated on this platform.

Further information about JBS’s sustainability efforts is available at: https://jbs360.com.br/en/.

JBS would like to clarify a very important point: the New York Times failed to mention that of the 16.354 farms it analyzed in the Amazon region that supply to JBS, it found only 266 alleged cases of non-compliance, or 1,62 percent.  JBS analyzed the 266 alleged cases of non-compliance and confirmed that purchases from these farms, made between January and December 2020, were in accordance with established regulations.

It is key to consider protocols to prevent deforestation before reaching conclusions based solely on land overlaps. A precise analysis must account for protocols established for the use of conservation units or that overlap with PRODES deforestation polygons. The Cattle Supplier Monitoring Policy of the Federal Prosecution Office (Beef on Track) is clear about situations in which production is allowed on land that overlaps with farms and establishes technical limits and when to block a supplier.

• Sustainability