A coalition of lawyers and environmental organisations has filed 14 coordinated legal complaints in four European countries against JBS, the world’s largest meat company, and some of the banks, funds and professional firms connected to it. The complaints were submitted in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands and allege links to money laundering through the benefits of cattle production associated with illegal deforestation in the Amazon.
The Transnational Legal Coalition (TLC), which brings together groups experienced in climate and environmental litigation, says cattle ranching is a major driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Its argument is that European laws against money laundering could apply to profits from cattle raised on illegally cleared land.
One complaint against JBS NV was submitted to prosecutors in the Netherlands, alleging illegal deforestation, including in Indigenous territories. A similar complaint was filed in the UK against JBS Global Limited. The other 12 submissions went to financial regulators overseeing anti-money-laundering rules in the four countries. They name JBS financiers Barclays, Standard Chartered, Bank of Montreal, Banco do Brasil, Rabobank and ING Bank, as well as BlackRock Asset Management. Lawyers, accountants and auditors associated with JBS are also included in the regulatory complaints.
To support its case, TLC commissioned a report from AidEnvironment on deforestation and farms linked to JBS. The coalition says the report found that the company may be connected to more than 6.5 million hectares of deforested land in the Brazilian Amazon between 1988 and July 2025: 3,393,271 hectares linked to direct suppliers and 3,204,576 hectares to indirect suppliers.
TLC says the complaints aim to address a supply chain that crosses national borders, from forest clearance in Brazil to cattle, revenue, investment and professional services moving through international markets. The coalition’s legal director, Miriam Zagoumas, said illegal deforestation should be considered not only a conservation and supply-chain issue, but also a threat to the climate and future generations.
Tracing cattle linked to deforestation is difficult because animals can pass through several farms before reaching the final property where they are fattened and sold. The source report also notes that JBS formally withdrew its main climate target this summer: achieving net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2040. The company continues to maintain that commitment for its direct operations, while citing difficulties in monitoring emissions across its global supplier network.
Sources: El País Sociedad.