global meatpacking company

JBS

Industry Food

One of the world’s largest meat companies, with beef, poultry, pork, and prepared-food operations across multiple countries. JBS scores low because of documented human harm, ecological harm, and toxic or materially harmful products, with centralized governance and weak worker power reinforcing the negative evaluation.

Why this matters: JBS is among the worst food actors because meatpacking scale, Amazon-linked cattle risk, labor-abuse allegations, and animal-agriculture harms are all core to the business model.

Letter grade F Malignant Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 10, 2026

Final Score -25* F - Malignant

FMALIGNANT-25 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material13

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap13

Penalties-38

!Not Verified

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Evaluation Overview

F - Malignant

The score turns mainly on Extraction, with the largest penalty coming from Ecological Harm.

Strengths

Extraction2/10
Market Conduct2/5
Product Integrity2/5

Penalties

Ecological Harm-14
Human Harm-10
High-Carbon Products-7
Toxic Products-4

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims8
Direct axis claims8
Coverage8/15

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	1 / 10	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Ownership: decisive control remains with shareholders, private owners, executives, or state insiders rather than affected people. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	1 / 10	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Governance: ordinary users, workers, customers, or affected communities cannot change the rules that govern them. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	2 / 10	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. [2] context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	1 / 7	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Labor Sovereignty: labor remains managerially controlled, replaceable, or exposed to coercive employment and contracting conditions. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. [2] context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	1 / 7	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Solidarity with the Unemployed: the model provides little protection for people who leave, are excluded, or cannot bargain from employment. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. [2] context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	1 / 7	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That keeps JBS low on Loss-Bearing Fidelity: losses, hazards, or adjustment costs are routinely pushed onto workers, customers, suppliers, communities, or the public. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. [2] context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	2 / 5	JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. That places JBS in the middle of Market Conduct: the product has real value but still uses meaningful lock-in, gatekeeping, market power, or dependency. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3] context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context JBS’s supply-chain complexity makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to know whether meat is tied to deforestation, labor abuse, or high-risk suppliers. [4]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	2 / 5	JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. That places JBS in the middle of Product Integrity: the product has real use value but is compromised by incentives, monetization, lock-in, quality degradation, or risk. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3] context JBS’s ordinary products are industrial meat and processed meat products, carrying animal-product, food-safety, zoonotic, and factory-farming exposure risks at very large scale. [5]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	2 / 5	JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. That places JBS in the middle of Scale Integrity: scale brings useful reach but also weakens accountability, transparency, or local constraint. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence context JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance. [1] context JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category. [3] context JBS has been repeatedly linked by watchdog and NGO reporting to cattle-supply deforestation risk, making ecological harm central rather than incidental. [6]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Human Harm ? Severity, scale, culpability, vulnerable targets, willful reoffense, reputation laundering, pattern escalation, and time decay. Range: -20 to 0.	-10	AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. That warrants a substantial Human Harm penalty because ordinary operation, documented misconduct, or institutional power creates serious injury, deprivation, abuse, or foreseeable human damage. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Linked evidence AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions. [2]
Ecological Harm ? Footprint, trajectory, irreversibility, culpability, and scale, including whether ecological harm is central to the model and continued after credible notice. Range: -30 to 0.	-14	JBS moves into the severe Ecological Harm range because cattle supply-chain deforestation risk and meat-system emissions make ecological damage central rather than incidental. Linked evidence JBS has been repeatedly linked by watchdog and NGO reporting to cattle-supply deforestation risk, making ecological harm central rather than incidental. [6]
High-Carbon Products ? Core products, services, financing, or supply chains that materially depend on fossil-fuel combustion, high-emissions transport, industrial animal agriculture, meat, dairy, or other unusually carbon-intensive activity. This is scored separately from general ecological harm so ordinary consumers can see carbon-intensive product exposure directly. Range: -10 to 0.	-7	Meat, dairy, and industrial animal-protein products have unusually high climate burden relative to plant-based alternatives; when they are central to the model, the penalty belongs in the core tier. Linked evidence JBS has animal-agriculture core high-carbon product exposure based on its listed business model and current profile description: One of the world’s largest meat companies, with beef, poultry, pork, and prepared-food operations across multiple countries. JBS scores low because of documented human harm, ecological harm, and toxic or materially harm… [8]
Toxic Products ? Current sale of products whose ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. Food products receive at least light scrutiny for artificial colors, artificial flavors, petro-derived additives, pesticide residues, contaminants, endocrine-disrupting packaging, and ultra-processed formulation. Ordinary adult nightlife or alcohol service is not penalized by itself without evidence of predatory marketing, youth targeting, addiction-extractive design, or unusual product-safety misconduct. Range: -5 to 0.	-4	JBS’s ordinary products are industrial meat and processed meat products, carrying animal-product, food-safety, zoonotic, and factory-farming exposure risks at very large scale. JBS’s ordinary products are industrial meat and processed meat products, carrying animal-product, food-safety, zoonotic, and factory-farming exposure risks at very large scale. That warrants a severe Toxic Products penalty because ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates material toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Linked evidence JBS’s ordinary products are industrial meat and processed meat products, carrying animal-product, food-safety, zoonotic, and factory-farming exposure risks at very large scale. [5]
Accountability Opacity ? Material opacity, reputation laundering, or hidden accountability structures that prevent public accountability. Range: -2 to 0.	-2	JBS’s supply-chain complexity makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to know whether meat is tied to deforestation, labor abuse, or high-risk suppliers. JBS’s supply-chain complexity makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to know whether meat is tied to deforestation, labor abuse, or high-risk suppliers. That warrants a severe Accountability Opacity penalty because material facts, risks, conflicts, ownership, or accountability information are obscured from the public. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Linked evidence JBS’s supply-chain complexity makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to know whether meat is tied to deforestation, labor abuse, or high-risk suppliers. [4]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	JBS sustainability language sits beside a business model whose core scale depends on industrial animal agriculture and contested supply-chain externalities. JBS sustainability language sits beside a business model whose core scale depends on industrial animal agriculture and contested supply-chain externalities. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Linked evidence JBS sustainability language sits beside a business model whose core scale depends on industrial animal agriculture and contested supply-chain externalities. [7]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 71/100

8 verified linked claims 8 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 8/15 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 16/20

8 verified linked claims

Source quality 11/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 9/18

8 direct claims across 15 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

8/15 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

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Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1JBS is a large meatpacking group with public-market and controlling-family features rather than stakeholder-democratic food governance.

Ownership Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

JBS investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%

2AP reported that Brazilian labor prosecutors sued JBS over purchases of cattle from farms where workers were allegedly held in slavery-like conditions.

Human Harm Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

AP: Brazil prosecutors sue JBS over beef tied to slavery-like laborIndependent reporting · 82%

3JBS sells beef, poultry, pork, and prepared foods at global scale, making industrial animal-protein production its core product category.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

JBS global brandsGeneral web source · 58%

4JBS’s supply-chain complexity makes it difficult for ordinary consumers to know whether meat is tied to deforestation, labor abuse, or high-risk suppliers.

Accountability Opacity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

CorpWatch: JBS S.A.General web source · 58%

5JBS’s ordinary products are industrial meat and processed meat products, carrying animal-product, food-safety, zoonotic, and factory-farming exposure risks at very large scale.

Toxic Products Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

JBS global brandsGeneral web source · 58%

6JBS has been repeatedly linked by watchdog and NGO reporting to cattle-supply deforestation risk, making ecological harm central rather than incidental.

Ecological Harm Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

CorpWatch: JBS S.A.General web source · 58%
World Animal Protection: JBS factory farming empireGeneral web source · 58%

7JBS sustainability language sits beside a business model whose core scale depends on industrial animal agriculture and contested supply-chain externalities.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 10, 2026

AI scaffold

JBS sustainability reportOfficial self-description · 68%

8JBS has animal-agriculture core high-carbon product exposure based on its listed business model and current profile description: One of the world’s largest meat companies, with beef, poultry, pork, and prepared-food operations across multiple countries. JBS scores low because of documented human harm, ecological harm, and toxic or materially harm…

High Carbon Products Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 11, 2026

JBS public siteGeneral web source · 58%
Our World in Data: Environmental Impacts of Food ProductionGeneral web source · 58%

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