Global warming will reach 2.6°C by 2100 if no new policy support is offered and technologies are adopted only when they become cost-competitive, say signatories of a letter published today.
Clean electrification, with electricity meeting over 50% of ... [5237 chars]

**media[1295804]**Global warming will reach 2.6°C by 2100 if no new policy support is offered and technologies are adopted only when they become cost-competitive, say signatories of a letter published today.Clean electrification, with electricity meeting over 50% of final energy demand by mid-century, and phasing down coal use for electricity generation could cut projected warming to around 2.3°C, with low or no cost.But projected temperatures will not reach below 2°C without action to decarbonise heavy industry, aviation and shipping, deeply cut methane emissions and end deforestation.Combined, these five priority action areas could reduce warming to around 1.8°C - but this is not cost-free and requires policy support.Exponential growth in carbon removals is required to bring potential warming down to 1.5°C.LONDON, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 30 members of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) today urge COP31 President Murat Kurum and President of Negotiations Chris Bowen to put clean electrification and the hard-to-electrify sectors at the centre of the climate summit's outcome, as new ETC analysis shows current policies leave the world on course for 2.6°C of warming.

The Manila Times

Business leaders urge COP31 Presidency to commit to global action on clean electrification and heavy industry to keep global warming well below 2°C

A complaint has been filed with the Central Bank of Ireland against investment funds linked to the world’s largest meat company accusing them of profiting from criminal deforestation of the Amazon.
The complaint alleges the activities of the funds, m... [2859 chars]

Fourteen complaints filed in four countries in co-ordinated action by environmental lawyers

The Irish Times

Central Bank asked to look into JBS and BlackRock over illegal deforestation

ACF's latest report, "Bulldozers and Broken Promises," an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it. Why? Because deforestation is a huge problem in Australia.
An average of around 400,000 hectares (988,00... [4515 chars]

ACF's latest report, "Bulldozers and Broken Promises," an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it. Why? Because deforestation is a huge problem in Australia.

Phys.org

Investigation links Australian deforestation to beef farming and major bank loans

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world’s largest meat company, along with its b... [7543 chars]

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to illegal Amazon deforestation.

San Diego Union-Tribune

JBS faces complaints filed over alleged links to Amazon deforestation

Santa Ana Orange County Register

Santa Rosa Press Democrat

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Forest land is rapidly disappearing in the United States. According to a recent report from the U.S. Forest Monitor, a collaborative research program involving The Nature Conservancy, the Open Space Institute, and the Land Trust Alliance, the U.S. lost the equivalent of a football field of forest land every two minutes between 1990 and 2017. Cumulatively, nearly 10 million acres nationwide were deforested over that 28 year period, an area roughly equal to the combined land area of Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Deforestation typically occurs for the express purpose of creating new cropland or the development of residential or commercial real estate. But such development initiatives come at a steep environmental cost. Estimates from the U.S. Forest Monitor shows that deforestation resulted in approximately 2.3 billion additional metric tons of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere between 1990 and 2017, roughly equal to the total annual carbon emissions of the entire European Union, according to the World Bank.
While deforestation has occurred in all 50 states, the South and Southeastern U.S. accounts for the bulk of the decline. Just 10 states in that region lost nearly 6.6 million acres of forest land between 1990 and 2017, more than two-thirds of all deforestation nationwide over that period.
Using data from the U.S. Forest Monitor, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states where forests are disappearing fastest. We ranked all states with available data on the average annual rate of deforestation between 1990 and 2017. Only the 10 highest ranking states appear on this list. Supplemental data on population change is from the U.S. Census Bureau. All other data is as reported by the U.S. Forest Monitor.
10. South Carolina
Average annual forest loss: 15,717 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 439,972 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 118.3 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 42% cropland; 58% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +44.1% (+1,538,059 people)
9. Missouri
Average annual forest loss: 16,210 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 453,789 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 67.1 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 83% cropland; 17% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +19.5% (+996,631 people)
8. Mississippi
Average annual forest loss: 16,294 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 456,143 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 104.1 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 69% cropland; 31% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +15.9% (+408,625 people)
7. Virginia
Average annual forest loss: 17,631 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 493,550 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 130.2 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 61% cropland; 39% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +36.9% (+2,280,823 people)
6. Alabama
Average annual forest loss: 19,811 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 554,578 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 123.5 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 79% cropland; 21% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +20.7% (+834,358 people)
5. Arkansas
Average annual forest loss: 20,604 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 576,794 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 108 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 72% cropland; 28% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +27.8% (+653,655 people)
4. Florida
Average annual forest loss: 23,490 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 657,568 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 130.5 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 45% cropland; 55% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +62.2% (+8,046,329 people)
3. North Carolina
Average annual forest loss: 28,563 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 799,601 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 205.8 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 53% cropland; 47% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +54.9% (+3,640,971 people)
2. Texas
Average annual forest loss: 34,783 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 973,710 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 192.2 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 41% cropland; 59% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +66.6% (+11,318,261 people)
1. Georgia
Average annual forest loss: 42,223 acres per year
Total forest loss, 1990-2017: 1,181,991 acres
Total climate burden of deforestation: 291.3 million additional metric tons of greenhouse gasses
Land use in deforested areas: 53% cropland; 47% development
State population change, 1990-2017: +61.0% (+3,951,230 people)

Forest land is rapidly disappearing in the United States. According to a recent report from the U.S. Forest Monitor,...

The U.S. States Losing The Most Forest

Deforestation for beef on a property near Warwick, Queensland. Credit: ACF
ACF's latest report, "Bulldozers and Broken Promises ," an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it. Why? Because deforestation is a huge problem in Australia.
An average of around 400,000 hectares (988,000 acres) of forest and woodland are bulldozed every year, with much of it unregulated and driven by a small number of beef farmers. Deforestation destroys the homes of threatened animals like koalas and greater gliders, pink cockatoos and endangered skinks—20 million animals are killed, maimed or displaced every year through deforestation.
Flattening forests also releases carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to the climate crisis, and damages soils, posing a risk to food security. On top of all of this, deforestation in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area can cause sediment to flow into, smother and damage the reef.
ACF's 2026 investigation revealed 150 cases of recent bulldozing, which amounted to the destruction of more than 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) of native bushland—and we know this is just a snippet of the total forest destruction that likely occurred in the past year. Behind the bulldozers are some of Australia's biggest banks, fast-food chains and supermarkets.
An example of deforestation for beef pasture from last year's ACF Investigates campaign. Drag the slider to compare before-and-after satellite images, then click the squares where you can see land clearing has occurred. Credit: Australian Conservation Foundation
Of the deforestation we detected, 99% of it was linked to agriculture. And of the 150 cases of destruction, 127 were on grazing properties, mainly for beef.
The biggest buyers of Aussie beef are supermarkets Woolworths and Coles, and fast-food giants McDonald's and Hungry Jack's. These corporations should be able to assure Australians and overseas consumers that the beef they buy is not linked to any of these deforestation cases and has no connection to the destruction of koalas' homes or the smothering of corals on the Great Barrier Reef. Right now, they can't. Consumers deserve better.
"If you're picking up some sausages for your family or a burger at the drive-thru, you should be able to have confidence that it doesn't contribute to the bulldozing of koalas' forest homes. Right now, you can't."
Satellite imagery of flood plumes running out into the ocean off the coast of Queensland into the Great Barrier Reef area. Credit: Copernicus Sentinel-2 data of the Tully, Murray and Herbert river plumes (6/2/2025, true color image). Snapshot extracted from the Copernicus Browser (@Sentinel Hub) by TropWATER, James Cook University.
Banks also have a role to play, particularly through the loans they provide and the activities they finance. We linked 82 of the bulldozing cases and a total of 16,540 hectares (40,900 acres) of deforestation to mortgages from major Australian banks, including NAB, Commonwealth Bank and ANZ.
Shockingly, no Australian bank has a policy requiring its customers to avoid deforestation.
Australia has no early detection and mapping system for deforestation. This makes it impossible to take timely action to halt deforestation and save critical habitat for our most vulnerable threatened species.
In the absence of effective government or corporate monitoring, ACF investigators, helped by thousands of citizen scientists, conduct investigations in areas at high risk of land clearing every year. In 2026, they scanned more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) of satellite imagery.
Our 2026 investigation detected 150 examples of deforestation, a lot of it potentially illegal.
Across the properties, more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of forest and woodland were bulldozed. All the forest and woodland was over 15 years old, most of it much older, and in most cases some of the forest was mapped as remnant—meaning it has never been cleared before. All of it provided homes for Australian wildlife.
Over 1,700 hectares bulldozed near the Herbert River in Queensland's Wet Tropics, one of the four biggest sources of muddy sediment flowing into the Great Barrier Reef, now under investigation by the NEPA. Credit: Australian Conservation Foundation
On one beef property in the Herbert River catchment in Queensland's Wet Tropics, more than 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) were bulldozed—that's equivalent to around six Sydney Harbors.
Thanks to ACF reporting the bulldozers, the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) issued a stop-work order, declaring that any further clearing there could have contributed 1,000 metric tons (1,100 tons) of sediment flowing into the Great Barrier Reef. This was the new NEPA's first-ever Environment Protection Order.
In another case on the Cobar Peneplain in western New South Wales, a hot spot for deforestation, the cattle ranchers who own the property destroyed 796 hectares (1,970 acres) of native vegetation that was mapped as being habitat for animals like endangered koalas and pink cockatoos.
Coles and Woolworths both made a promise to sell only deforestation-free beef by the end of 2025. Neither of them has kept that promise, which means any of the beef in their fridges could be linked to deforestation.
To protect koalas and save the Great Barrier Reef, every sausage and steak sold by Coles and Woolies, and every burger at Hungry Jack's and McDonald's, should come from one of the many Australian farmers who are deforestation-free.
Bulldozers and broken promises. Is the beef in your trolley linked to forest destruction? canopy.acf.org.au/asset/333bfb … -broken-promises.pdf
deforestation endangered species Diprotodontia
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A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to…

Meat-packer JBS faces complaints filed in Europe over alleged links to illegal Amazon deforestation

Verona volleyball's final point and celebration of its win over DeForest that clinched the sectional title and punched its ticket to state.
MILWAUKEE — The Verona boys soccer team executed its gameplan to perfection in the first half, controlling possession and working the ball around to generate chances.
Verona senior Julian Popkewitz, left, dribbles the ball in the Wildcats' Division 1 WIAA state boys soccer semifinal against Hudson on Thursday at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
Verona defender Gavin Richert, center, battles for positioning on the ball against DeForest forward Landon Adams in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, right, goes up for a header against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players fight for positioning in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, left, moves the ball up the field against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa kicks the ball against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, right, hits the turf while fighting for possession with Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Mason Rausch reacts after missing a scoring chance against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, takes the ball from DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest defenders clear the ball from their goal area while playing DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players go up for a header that resulted in a Verona goal during a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa celebrates after scoring a goal against DeForest in a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa, right, celebrates after spring a goal against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona forward Ibrahim Sanneh, left, races for the ball while battling against DeForest midfielder Carter Lovick in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa reacts after missing a scoring chance against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona players celebrate after defeating DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
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Verona boys soccer drops D1 semifinal after second-half struggles

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The Associated Press

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest…

Wisconsin State Journal reporter Sean Davis breaks down the four state quarterfinal games involving Madison area teams in the WIAA football playoffs.
The last 16 high school boys soccer teams remaining in Wisconsin will travel to Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee for the WIAA state tournament, which begins on Thursday.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against DeForest in the Division 1 sectional championship game on Saturday.
Monona Grove senior Max Fernandez tries to dribble past Verona's Luis Villa during a nonconference game on Sept. 1 at Monona Grove High School.
Verona defender Gavin Richert, center, battles for positioning on the ball against DeForest forward Landon Adams in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, right, goes up for a header against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players fight for positioning in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, left, moves the ball up the field against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa kicks the ball against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, right, hits the turf while fighting for possession with Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Mason Rausch reacts after missing a scoring chance against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, takes the ball from DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest defenders clear the ball from their goal area while playing DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players go up for a header that resulted in a Verona goal during a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa celebrates after scoring a goal against DeForest in a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa, right, celebrates after spring a goal against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona forward Ibrahim Sanneh, left, races for the ball while battling against DeForest midfielder Carter Lovick in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa reacts after missing a scoring chance against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona players celebrate after defeating DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
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Verona and Monona Grove are among the teams competing for a gold ball at this week's 44th annual state tournament. Here are five storylines to follow.

5 things to know about the WIAA state boys soccer tournament

A complaint has been filed with the Central Bank of Ireland against investment funds linked to the world's largest meat company accusing them of profiting from criminal deforestation of the Amazon.
The complaint alleges the activities of the funds, managed by BlackRock asset management in Dublin , amount to money laundering.
Fourteen complaints in total have been filed in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK simultaneously in a co-ordinated action by an alliance of legal and environmental charities, including the Global Legal Action Network which was founded in Galway .
Their key target is JBS, the Brazilian based, Dutch-headquartered multinational meat and food producer of which Irishman Jerry O'Callaghan is chairman. But they are also going after the company's financial enablers – its banks, asset holders, lawyers and accountants.
The Central Bank of Ireland declined to comment.
JBS did not reply but the company has defended its activities in the past, insisting it had no tolerance for illegal deforestation and had ended contracts with suppliers found raising cattle on unlawfully deforested lands.
BlackRock acknowledged questions but did not answer them. The company has been accused of unethical and environmentally harmful investments in the past and has defended its activities, but it has not been accused of criminal behaviour in relation to them before.
Complaints were also lodged with the National Crime Agency in the UK, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and with regulators in all four countries citing nine firms of banks, investment managers, lawyers, accountants and auditors.
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The Transnational Legal Coalition (TLC), an alliance of five legal and environmental organisations which co-ordinated the action, said cattle ranching was the biggest driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon – most of it illegal.
It claimed there was extensive evidence linking JBS to that destruction as the company bought and processed beef raised on farms on deforested land.
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It said it followed that money made from that beef or from managing that money or investments and assets related to the activity was illegal under EU money laundering legislation.
Bláithín Quigley, TLC co-ordinator, said this was the first in a series of planned actions targeting criminal deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model,' she said. 'Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades.'
Activist Alcebias Sapara, of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon, said while the destruction of forests was happening in Brazil, the crime was international.
'We seek justice in every country that, in one way or another, participates in this,' he said.
'If these criminal profits are being invested in Europe, then justice will be pursed there as well.'

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
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The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

As Coles holds its Annual General Meeting today, Greenpeace Australia Pacific has branded the major supermarkets with a fail grade on their commitment to source deforestation-free beef, with an updated scorecard revealing none of the major beef buyers are following through on forest sustainability commitments.
It comes after Woolworths's AGM last week where the board copped a grilling by environmentalists and shareholders over its failed sustainability commitments. Both Coles and Woolworths committed to eliminating deforestation in their supply chains by the end of 2025, but a year past the deadline, neither company could guarantee that their beef was not sourced from deforested pastures.
From outside the Coles AGM, Adele Chasson, Nature Policy Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: "This is a report card Coles and Woolworths should be ashamed to take home. While all major beef buyers had promised to take deforestation off the shelves, none of them followed through. Shareholders and the public demanded answers from Woolworths last week and from Coles today, and we will continue to hold their feet to the fire on their promises.
"Beef is the leading cause of deforestation in Australia, and Coles and Woolworths keep putting off action while koalas continue losing their homes. Aussies must be able to get their groceries without having to worry if their dinner is contributing to the bulldozing of forests or driving extinction of iconic Australian animals.
"Without strong, rapid implementation plans, these companies continue with business as usual, flying in the face of Australia's deforestation crisis. Big beef buyers like Coles and Woolworths must stop the bulldozers now, make good on their sustainability promises and play their part in stopping Australian forest destruction."
The scorecard assesses how eight of Australia's largest beef buyers stack up against a conversion and deforestation-free target. It charts whether the major supermarkets, Aldi, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, Teys, Metcash/IGA and JBS are taking proper action to end Australia's deforestation crisis. They all failed.

As Coles holds its Annual General Meeting today, Greenpeace Australia Pacific has branded the major supermarkets with a fail grade on their commitment

Coles, Woolworths Fail New Deforestation Scorecard for Beef Buyers

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
"Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition "was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains," he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
"Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office," the company said.
"The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor," JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable "cattle laundering": animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward "100% compliance" while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef su

Wisconsin State Journal reporter Sean Davis breaks down the four state quarterfinal games involving Madison area teams in the WIAA football playoffs.
The last 16 high school boys soccer teams remaining in Wisconsin will travel to Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee for the WIAA state tournament, beginning Thursday.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa, right, celebrates after spring a goal against DeForest in the Division 1 sectional championship game on Oct. 31.
Monona Grove senior Max Fernandez tries to dribble past Verona's Luis Villa during a nonconference game on Sept. 1 at Monona Grove High School.
Verona defender Gavin Richert, center, battles for positioning on the ball against DeForest forward Landon Adams in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, right, goes up for a header against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players fight for positioning in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, left, moves the ball up the field against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa kicks the ball against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo, right, hits the turf while fighting for possession with Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest forward Mason Rausch reacts after missing a scoring chance against Verona in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona defender Zachary Zembroski, left, takes the ball from DeForest forward Antonio Anchondo in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
DeForest defenders clear the ball from their goal area while playing DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona and DeForest players go up for a header that resulted in a Verona goal during a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa celebrates after scoring a goal against DeForest in a WIAA Division 1 sectional final Saturday at Verona Area High School in Verona.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa, right, celebrates after spring a goal against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona forward Ibrahim Sanneh, left, races for the ball while battling against DeForest midfielder Carter Lovick in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona midfielder Luis Villa reacts after missing a scoring chance against DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
Verona players celebrate after defeating DeForest in the WIAA 2026 Boys Soccer Sectional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis.
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Australians buying beef at Coles and Woolworths may question where their meat comes from after the supermarkets were among eight groups failing a new environmental scorecard.Coles and Woolworths are among eight beef-buying groups that have received failing grades in a new environmental scorecard.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific assessed eight of Australia's biggest beef buyers, including the supermarket giants, Aldi, McDonald's, Hungry Jack's, Teys, Metcash/IGA and JBS and says they all fell short on commitments to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains.
The scorecard was released on Friday, nearly a year after Coles and Woolworths pledged to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains by the end of 2025.
Woolworths told Yahoo News it disputes the allegations, insisting it has met its December 2025 target to implement its No Deforestation Policy — a point noted in the Greenpeace report.
Greenpeace takes aim at Coles, Woolworths
The environmental group said neither Coles nor Woolworths could guarantee its beef was not sourced from properties where deforestation had occurred.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific Nature Policy Lead, Adele Chasson, said the results showed major beef buyers were not following through on their promises.
"This is a report card Coles and Woolworths should be ashamed to take home," she said.
"While all major beef buyers had promised to take deforestation off the shelves, none of them followed through."
Woolworths disputes Greenpeace scorecard, Coles critical of claims
Woolworths disputes the scorecard while Coles is also critical of the claims made by Greenpeace.
The supermarket said it had worked with its direct beef suppliers to implement the policy, which requires their farms to be free of deforestation.
Woolworths added that it had investigated high-risk areas in its direct supply chain and found no policy breaches, while saying it remained in dialogue with industry bodies and the government to improve full-lifecycle traceability across the beef industry.
Coles told Yahoo News Australia that it recognised deforestation and land-use change as important nature-related risks. It said it remained committed to working towards no-deforestation outcomes.
"Beef remains particularly complex, with whole-of-life traceability and verification requiring collaboration across the broader Australian beef industry," a spokesperson said.
"We continue to work directly with our suppliers, industry, government and other stakeholders to address practical barriers and strengthen traceability across the supply chain.
"Ultimately, we want to see a system that can provide credible assurance, rather than make claims that cannot yet be fully substantiated."
RELATED
Koalas among wildlife at risk from land clearing
Chasson said beef production was a major driver of deforestation in Australia, warning that land clearing was putting native wildlife, including koalas, at risk.
"Beef is the leading cause of deforestation in Australia, and Coles and Woolworths keep putting off action while koalas continue losing their homes," she added.
"Aussies must be able to get their groceries without having to worry if their dinner is contributing to the bulldozing of forests or driving extinction of iconic Australian animals."
Woolworths downgraded Australian fresh beef from "high risk" to "low risk" in its 2025 sustainability report, despite beef production being a major driver of land clearing in Queensland and NSW.
The Wilderness Society previously criticised the assessment change, and said it "simply doesn't add up", arguing Woolworths must ensure products on its shelves are not linked to the destruction of wildlife habitat.
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Coles and Woolworths are among eight major beef buyers who have failed an environmental scorecard.

Coles and Woolworths under fire over major beef promise: 'Should be ashamed'

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
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'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
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The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Advertising
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS, Brazil — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
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'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.

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By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

Complaints argue revenue from cattle raised on illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds.

São Paolo, Brazil (November 5, 2026) — Brazil's COP30 Presidency released its global roadmap for halting deforestation and degradation. The roadmap, first announced at COP30, identifies opportunities to accelerate forest protection, sustainable use and recovery through coordination national action, international cooperation and finance.
Following is a statement from Mariana Oliveira, Director of Forests and Land Use Program, WRI Brasil:
'The Roadmap calls for countries to set and lead their own approaches to halt deforestation 2030. Importantly, the roadmap recognizes there's no silver bullet, but rather lays out the full range of actions that countries can deploy — from protecting Indigenous and community land rights to strengthening forest monitoring to economic reforms and stronger international cooperation.
'Brazil has shown that progress is possible when protecting forests is treated as a national priority, reducing deforestation to its lowest level in recent years. Yet the global challenge remains significant: in 2025, deforestation around the world was 70% higher than the level needed to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.
'One of the most important actions countries can take is to align economic incentives with conservation goals, redirecting resources to help farmers and communities build sustainable livelihoods. Transforming economic and trade systems to recognize the value of standing forests is how we build an economy where people and nature thrive together.'

São Paolo, Brazil (November 5, 2026) — Brazil's COP30 Presidency released its global roadmap for halting deforestation and degradation. The roadmap, first announced at COP30, identifies opportunities…

STATEMENT: COP30 Presidency's Global Roadmap on Halting Deforestation

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation. In the filings, the […]

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to illegal Amazon deforestation | WBEN

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MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .
LA NACION
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Advocacy groups filed legal complaints against a major meat company; they allege money laundering from deforestation - LA NACION

MANAUS, Brazil — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
"The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor," JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to illegal Amazon deforestation

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS – A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
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The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

Q&A: What is the Brazil-led 'deforestation roadmap'?
By: Aruna Chandrasekhar, Dr Giuliana Viglione Aerial view of industrial buildings and heavy machinery adjacent to a large area of scorched land, Indonesia. Credit: Amazing Aerial / Alamy Stock Photo
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On 3 November, the Brazilian presidency of the COP30 climate talks released its long-awaited 'roadmap' on ending deforestation.
Ahead of the Belém summit, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a call for a 'roadmap' to halt and reverse deforestation.
Although this voluntary roadmap was outside the COP's official agenda, it snowballed into a rallying point at the 'Amazon' COP.
By the end of the summit, 93 countries had signed on to the deforestation roadmap, committing to develop voluntary pathways to reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030.
The Brazilian presidency called on countries to describe what a pathway away from deforestation could look like, what challenges and support they needed.
This call was answered by 18 countries and four negotiating blocs that offered their inputs on the roadmap, along with scores of NGOs, research centres and other groups.
Now that the roadmap has been published, Carbon Brief explains where it came from, what it entails, why some did not sign on – and what's next.
What is a deforestation 'roadmap'?
The 'deforestation roadmap' was one of the signature announcements of the Brazilian presidency of the COP30 climate summit in Belém – albeit one that fell outside the official, negotiated outcomes.
Brazilian president Lula first proposed the deforestation and forest degradation roadmap, alongside one on the fossil fuel transition, at the leaders' summit in Belém a few days before COP30 began.
By the end of COP30, nearly 100 countries had expressed their support for such a roadmap. This includes the EU, with its 27 member states, as well as the 56-member Coalition for Rainforest Nations.
Map of countries that supported the call for a deforestation roadmap by the end of COP30. Source: Carbon Brief
However, this was still short of the 196 parties needed for consensus at a COP, meaning that, ultimately, the roadmap was not a formal outcome.
Instead, COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago announced during the closing plenary session that the presidency would work towards creating both deforestation and fossil-fuel phaseout roadmaps outside of the COP process.
The deforestation roadmap is the latest in a series of international pledges to put an end to forest loss.
In 2014, 39 countries pledged to end natural forest loss by 2030 at UN Climate Week, as part of the New York Declaration on Forests.
Seven years later, at COP26, more than 140 countries signed the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use. The declaration stated that countries 'commit to working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030' – although conflict subsequently arose over what, exactly, countries had agreed to.
The objective of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 was ultimately agreed in a negotiated text for the first time two years later, at COP28 in Dubai, where it was part of the global stocktake.
Paragraph 33 of the first global stocktake, which references halting deforestation by 2030. Source: UNFCCC
Unlike these previous pledges, the roadmap does not make any new commitments. It also does not 'seek to reopen agreed decisions'.
Instead, the roadmap's stated objective is to 'translate forest-related outcomes into coordinated, country-led action while respecting different national circumstances, priorities and implementation challenges'.
Following the conclusion of COP30, the presidency – along with the Climate Policy Initiative thinktank – began soliciting inputs from countries, civil society organisations, Indigenous peoples, academic researchers, the private sector and other groups.
(The Climate Policy Initiative was chosen to serve as the secretariat and technical partner to the roadmap process.)
The secretariat notes that it received more than 200 contributions following this invitation. However, just 18 of these came from countries, and four from blocs – the EU, the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Least Developed Countries (LDC) blocs – themselves.
What does the roadmap say about reducing deforestation?
The roadmap was released less than a week before the COP31 climate summit is due to begin, at an event hosted by the UN Development Programme in Brasilia.
During the launch event, Do Lago highlighted recent figures showing that Brazil's deforestation rate had fallen to its lowest level on record – dropping by more than 70% since 2022.
'Even the optimists wouldn't believe that we were able to decrease deforestation' by as much as the country has managed in recent years, he said.
Corrêa Do Lago said that he hoped the roadmap would be a 'living document' and that it could provide countries with a 'practical pathway for climate action'.
The roadmap divides forest action into three complementary parts: national action, international action and financial mechanisms.
For each of the three, the document highlights current actions or instruments and the enabling conditions required to promote action. Then, it offers 'COP30 presidency proposals on the way forward' on each pillar.
Under 'national efforts', the roadmap addresses the challenge of halting and reversing deforestation across five 'forest dimensions':
Maintaining existing forests.
Using forests sustainably while generating value for communities.
Combatting forest degradation.
Combatting deforestation.
Restoration, reforestation and afforestation.
The roadmap identifies 18 policies or 'implementation approaches' that countries can use to address forest loss and degradation, although it notes that the list is not intended to serve as an 'exhaustive or prescriptive classification'.
This includes a wide range of approaches, including establishing or maintaining protected areas, recognising the territorial rights of Indigenous peoples, managing the spread of pests and plant diseases and restricting permits for activities associated with forest conversion.
Forests in the Siang valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Credit: Cyrille REDOR / Alamy Stock Photo
For each of these policies, the roadmap explains the approach and gives an overview of the evidence of its effectiveness. It also gives examples of how countries are implementing that policy.
Then, the roadmap discusses the enabling conditions that need to be ensured for action to occur at the national level, such as supporting land governance and promoting environmental education.
Finally, for national action, the roadmap proposes a five-step process for countries to follow. It provides 'guiding questions' that countries may consider in their work to support each step.
On 'international architecture for forest action', the roadmap discusses how various international environmental and human-rights instruments address the problem of deforestation in different ways. It says:
'Climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, Indigenous peoples and local communities' rights, ecosystem conservation and species protection are addressed through distinct international regimes, but their objectives and implementation intersect in important ways in relation to forests.'
The roadmap highlights some of the global forest-monitoring initiatives that can support national efforts, while noting that countries' capacity for accessing and using such information 'remains uneven'. It calls for improving technical cooperation between countries and increasing capacity-building.
Finally, the roadmap discusses two cross-border issues: crime and trade. On the latter, it notes that trade measures that reward compliance are generally more effective than those that impose 'additional economic and administrative burdens on exporters'.
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The roadmap's final proposals for international action include strengthening national capacity for investigating environmental crime and prioritising trade policies that reward sustainable, deforestation-free production.
The roadmap notes that countries need an estimated $300bn per year by 2030 to halt and reverse deforestation, yet current finance reaches less than one-third of that figure.
Of this, nearly 90% comes from domestic public finance, as forest countries already dedicate 'substantial effort' to protecting their domestic policies and budgets, the roadmap notes.
The roadmap offers 10 proposals for action on forest finance, including aligning domestic finance flows to support forest action, enacting effective benefits-sharing measures and strengthening the position of forests in carbon markets.
It concludes with an appeal to countries to 'keep the collective dialogue going' through the conclusion of the second global stocktake in 2028.
In a statement, Kelly Stone, coordinator of the civil society network Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance, said:
'The forest commitments in the first global stocktake and this roadmap process are important steps, but these commitments need to translate into actual urgent action on the ground.
'This roadmap needs to be taken forward in a process where countries are working together for rapid, ambitious action on the ground to address deforestation and degradation and protect food security. We cannot afford to wait.'
Why did some countries not sign onto the roadmap at COP30?
In Belém, discussions around the deforestation roadmap were highly charged and several countries did not sign on.
Historically, India has opposed and raised concerns about top-down commitments around mitigation and land-use change. For example, the country did not sign the original Glasgow pledge on forests and land-use at COP26, objecting to 'trade' being linked to forests and climate action.
In Belém, India – as part of the Like Minded Developing Countries bloc – objected to the inclusion of voluntary roadmaps outside of the COP agenda in the formal COP30 outcome.
However, in an interview after the talks concluded, the country's minister for environment, forests and climate, Bhupender Yadav, told the Times of India that India 'welcomes' the forest roadmap. He added that it additionally 'endorses' Brazil's Tropical Forest Forever Facility fund.
Russia was an early objector to the deforestation roadmap, laying out its position as early as April last year. While the country reiterated its commitment to the Glasgow forest declaration and the first global stocktake, it 'does not support the development of a universal roadmap', arguing that:
'…such initiatives are not mandated under the agreed international climate architecture and go beyond adopted decisions under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.'
A satellite image of a large wildfire burning in northern Russia's Yakutia region in 2024. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Russia hosts the world's largest boreal forests, which are seeing more intense wildfires. In its submission on the deforestation roadmap, Russia 'underscored' that there is no 'universally agreed, legally binding definition' of forest degradation, although it adds subsequently that wildfires are a 'key driver' of degradation.
Like India, it also opposed the roadmap on trade grounds.
Other countries were wary of signing on to new non-negotiated mitigation commitments outside of the official COP agenda, at the expense of other agenda items, such as adaptation finance.
At the recently concluded Yerevan COP17 nature talks, the deforestation roadmap's coordinator Marco Túlio Scarpelli Cabral told Carbon Brief it does not make sense to talk about more countries signing up to the non-negotiated roadmap, when countries have agreed by consensus to tackle deforestation within the global stocktake and biodiversity COPs. He added:
'All countries have already taken this [deforestation] commitment, both in the Kunming-Montreal [Global Biodiversity Framework] with some converging targets, but also in the global stocktake…
'We have all accepted [it]. So we don't need any country to subscribe to the roadmap.'
The first global stocktake was undertaken at COP28 in Dubai. As mentioned above, within the mitigation section of this document – which was adopted by consensus – the importance of 'halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation' is emphasised.
The newly published roadmap therefore is not designed to convince countries to agree to tackle deforestation; instead it seeks to build on this assumed consensus by drawing on previous agreements such as the global stocktake.
Speaking at a press conference attended by Carbon Brief on 3 November, COP30 president Corrêa do Lago said they took into account the agreement in Dubai and then began looking for 'instruments and ways to go ahead and take next steps'. She added:
'The climate change agenda is advancing faster than the negotiations [themselves], so we restructured the agenda.'
What are the barriers to implementing a deforestation roadmap?
In February 2026, the Brazilian COP presidency asked countries to describe specific barriers to implementing a forest roadmap and the tangible support they need.
From political strife to wildfires and reliance on firewood during an energy crisis, countries listed a number of overlapping challenges to halting and reversing deforestation in their submissions.
Gold mining in Guyana. Credit: Nature Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo
For example, Guyana and Suriname have both highlighted that keeping existing 'forests intact' is undervalued compared to 'pressures from extractive industries', such as mining or agriculture.
Meanwhile, the EU, Switzerland and Mexico point to the role of agricultural expansion in the loss of forest and pasture land. Norway and Mexico highlighted illegal loggers offering higher rewards than conservation.
Both Canada and Russia pointed to an 'inconsistent definition' of forest degradation.
Biodiverse countries with significant forest cover, such as Suriname and Azerbaijan, meanwhile called for more 'predictable' and 'affordable' access to climate finance to keep forests standing.
The Coalition of Rainforest Nations called for 'a clear financial assessment of the total funding required to halt forest loss' in its submission.
However, many donor countries emphasised domestic, private and innovative finance in their solutions. The UK, for instance, called for more 'blended finance to de-risk private investment at scale' for forest conservation and high-integrity carbon markets.
While Norway spoke of the need to 'repurpos[e]' harmful subsidies, Australia highlighted the role of its controversial biodiversity credit and nature markets in 'restor[ing] and protect[ing] land and biodiversity and reduc[ing] emissions at the same time'.
Monitoring deforestation and restoration progress was another common challenge across countries. AOSIS, Armenia and Azerbaijan all raised this challenge and called for technical support for monitoring forest restoration, including satellite monitoring.
At the same time, Canada, Indonesia, Russia, Azerbaijan and Australia all cited the increasing risk of intensifying wildfires as threats to forests, with countries calling for early detection systems and support for monitoring fires in remote areas.
AOSIS called for coastal mangroves and inland terrestrial forests to be included in the definition of forests, adding that climate-driven impacts are already degrading mangrove forests.
Dead zone in mangrove forests destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Credit: Francisco Blanco / Alamy Stock Photo
Many barriers are deeply specific to the geographical and socioeconomic contexts of individual countries. Small island states such as Mauritius, for instance, point to pressures arising from a 'limited availability' of land. Sudan, meanwhile, draws attention to 70% of its population relying on firewood as an energy source amid conflict.

Carbon Brief explains where the deforestation roadmap came from, what it entails, why some did not sign on – and what's next.

Q&A: What is the Brazil-led ‘deforestation roadmap'?

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MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC. The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said. 'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.Aligned groups focus on JBS from EuropeThe coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports. By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment. Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation dataThe complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force. When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region. ___The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.

Meat-Packer JBS Faces Complaints Filed in Europe Over Alleged Links to Illegal Amazon Deforestation

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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MANAUS, Brazil — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
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JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
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Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to illegal Amazon deforestation.
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker,

MANAUS – A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
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The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
"Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition "was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains," he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
"Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office," the company said.
"The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor," JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable "cattle laundering": animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward "100% compliance" while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Gabriela Sá Pessoa, The Associated Press

The COP30 Presidency Roadmap on Enhancing Efforts towards Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030 has been launched this week.
It brings together evidence, experiences and solutions to inform discussions on how implementation can be accelerated through 2030 – if the current rate of deforestation continues, we could lose global forests the cumulative size of the UK.
The roadmap encompasses three parts – national efforts to half and reverse deforestation and degradation, international architecture for forest action and financing forest action.
The topic of financing forest action has been one on the tongue of many wildlife and forestry activists recently, especially following WWF's findings that nature-based climate solutions are held back by funding.
Damian Fleming, Senior Director, Forests, WWF International, said: 'The Forest Roadmap gets many of the fundamentals right: governance, enforcement, rights, finance and the need to tackle degradation as well as deforestation. The challenge now is speed. With 2030 only a few years away, implementation cannot remain voluntary in spirit and fragmented in practice.
'Countries now need to use it to turbocharge action for results on the ground. Deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains and governance must be at the center of action and incorporate the rights, voices and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and those of local communities.'
As the world turns to nature-positive transport and global standardisation for nature protection, anti-deforestation action is being taken at a rate never seen before.
Only time will tell if COP31 offers more support towards deforestation and degradation.

The COP30 Presidency roadmap sets out how to halt deforestation by 2030 - but speed is now the challenge

Roadmap to reverse deforestation by 2030 is here

A complaint has been filed with the Central Bank of Ireland against investment funds linked to the world's largest meat company accusing them of profiting from criminal deforestation of the Amazon.The complaint alleges the activities of the
"
Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model,
"

A complaint has been filed with the Central Bank of Ireland against investment funds linked to the world's largest meat company accusing them of profiting from criminal deforestation of the Amazon.…

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

) Statement STATEMENT: COP30 Presidency's Global Roadmap on Halting Deforestation November 5, 2026 São Paolo, Brazil (November 5, 2026) - Brazil's COP30 Presidency released its global roadmap for halting deforestation and degradation. The roadmap, first announced at COP30, identifies

) Statement STATEMENT: COP30 Presidency's Global Roadmap on Halting Deforestation November 5, 2026 São Paolo, Brazil (November 5, 2026) - Brazil's COP30 Presidency released its global roadmap for…

STATEMENT: COP30 Presidency's Global Roadmap on Halting Deforestation (WRI - World Resources Institute)

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Related Articles
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's

Coles and Woolworths under fire over major beef promise

FILE - The main entrance of the meat processing company JBS is visible in Porto Velho, Rondonia state, Brazil, July 12, 2023.
Andre Penner/AP Photo/Andre Penner
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
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The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of legal and environmental groups has filed money laundering complaints against JBS, the world's largest meat processor, and 12 financial institutions, investors and advisers, including the U.K. bank Barclays. The complaints allegedly tie JBS profits to illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
The Transnational Legal Coalition filed 14 complaints with prosecutors and financial regulators in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands on Nov. 5. It argues that profits from cattle raised on illegally cleared land constitute 'proceeds of crime' under anti-money laundering laws, potentially exposing JBS, and institutions that handle its money, to legal liability.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model,' Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the Transnational Legal Coalition, said in a statement.
The coalition of legal nonprofits includes Global Legal Action Network and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, as well as advocacy groups Mighty Earth, FIND and King's College London in the U.K.
The complaints draw on a report by environmental research nonprofit AidEnvironment that linked JBS suppliers to more than 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres) of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 1988 and 2026.
Barclays is JBS's largest financier and earned $1.7 billion from its dealings with the company between 2018 and 2023, according to a 2024 investigation by Global Witness. An analysis by the Center for Climate Crime Analysis for the same investigation found nearly 8,000 cows reared on illegally occupied Apyterewa Indigenous territory in Pará 'entered JBS's supply chain' in the same period.
AidEnvironment also found evidence of deforestation in legally protected areas on more than 80% of farms they sampled that directly or indirectly supply JBS. The affected areas included Legal Reserves, portions of rural properties that landowners must preserve under Brazilian law, and Areas of Permanent Preservation, where clearing vegetation is generally prohibited.
Barclays declined to comment.
In an email to Mongabay, a Mighty Earth spokesperson said that JBS has received a summary of the report and is 'aware of the key findings.' However, JBS has disputed the allegations and said it hasn't received the data needed to assess the claims.
'JBS regrets that the NGO's campaign has withheld the purported data on which its allegations against JBS are based, which prevents the Company from taking action on them. We cannot comment without access to the methodology of the purported study.'
JBS added that it has monitored its suppliers in the Amazon since 2010 using a protocol set by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office. It also said that their systems automatically block farms with illegal deforestation or that overlap conservation units.
'Environmental crime is financial crime. Revenue linked to illegal deforestation can flow into the global financial system,' Mariana Gutiérrez, director and investigator at FIND, said in a statement. 'JBS has raised billions in the past year alone despite well-documented deforestation risk in its Brazilian supply chain.'
Banner image: Smoke from fires in Apyterewa Indigenous Territory in Pará state, Brazil. Image courtesy of Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Global Witness.

A coalition of legal and environmental groups has filed money laundering complaints against JBS, the world's largest meat processor, and 12 financial institutions, investors and advisers, including the U.K. bank Barclays. The complaints allegedly tie JBS profits to illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Transnational Legal Coalition filed 14 complaints with prosecutors and financial […]

Money laundering complaints target JBS, Barclays over profits linked to illegal deforestation

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

ACF's latest report, Bulldozers and Broken Promises, an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it.
Why? Because deforestation is a huge problem in Australia.
An average of around 400,000 hectares of forest and woodland are bulldozed every year*, with much of it unregulated and driven by a small number of beef farmers. Deforestation destroys the homes of threatened animals like koalas and greater gliders, pink cockatoos and endangered skinks - 20 million animals are killed, maimed, or displaced every year through deforestation.
Flattening forests also releases carbon into the atmosphere which contributes to the climate crisis and damages soils which is a risk to food security. On top of all of this, deforestation in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area can cause sediment to flow into, smother, and damage the reef.
ACF's 2026 investigation revealed 150 cases of recent bulldozing which amounted to the destruction of more than 32,000 hectares of native bushland - and we know this is just a snippet of the total forest destruction that likely occurred in the past year.
Behind the bulldozers, are some of Australia's biggest banks, fast food chains and supermarkets.

ACF's latest report, Bulldozers and Broken Promises, an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it.Why?

Is Beef In Your Trolley Linked To Deforestation?

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecu

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

For the first time, deforestation in tropical Africa is now happening at a scale comparable with Latin America, one of the world's main deforestation hotspots, according to the report.
NEWS ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Global deforestation fell last year, but not enough to meet the goal of zero deforestation by 2030, with action missing to stop tree loss in the Congo Basin, a new analysis has found.
Deforestation destroyed seven million hectares of native forests globally in 2025, 15 per cent less than in 2024, according to the 2026 Forest Declaration Assessment, released ahead of the UN climate summit COP31 in November.
But while tree loss declined in the Amazon, it continued at pace in Central Africa's Congo Basin, the second largest area of forest in the world, the assessment found.
Prepared by a coalition of civil society and research organisations, the report assesses progress towards commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 to end deforestation and restore 30 per cent of degraded forest ecosystems by 2030.
It measures annual variations in forest loss compared to the 2018-2020 baseline period when deforestation reached an average of 8.3 million hectares per year.
Erin Matson, co-author of the report, told SciDev.Net: 'This year, for the first time in a while, the headline actually starts with some good news.'
But she warned: 'A dip in a bad trend is not yet a bend in the curve. Despite the improvement in 2025, the world is still 70 per cent off track from halting deforestation by 2030.'
Between 2021 and 2024, annual deforestation barely deviated from the baseline of 8.3 million hectares, according to the report.
To stay on course for zero deforestation by 2030, forest loss needed to decrease by about one million hectares a year, says Matson, a senior consultant at Climate Focus, an international advisory organisation focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
She explained: 'At that rate, by 2024, it should have been no higher than 5 million hectares but was instead 8 million. By 2025, it should have dropped to 4.2 million hectares but totalled 7 million instead.'
If we were on track to reach zero, '10.7 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Iceland, would still be standing,' added Matson.
Regional differences
For the first time, deforestation in tropical Africa is now happening at a scale comparable with Latin America, one of the world's main deforestation hotspots, according to the report.
The Congo Basin is the second largest forested area in the world after the Amazon and home to one of the largest remaining areas of intact tropical forest on the planet. In 2025, the region lost 2.4 million hectares of forest while Latin America lost 2.5 million.
According to the report, over the last five years, measures adopted in some Latin American countries—such as the reactivation of an action plan against deforestation in the Amazon and the strengthening of oversight in Brazil—contributed to reducing deforestation by 33 per cent in the region. This decline was the main factor behind the global drop recorded in 2025.
In contrast, in the Congo Basin, where forest loss is mainly due to the expansion of agriculture, logging and mining, the report failed to identify any similar initiatives underway to curb deforestation.
Advances at risk
Ane Alencar, scientific director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, who was not involved in the assessment, told SciDev.Net: 'I think [the report] brings a very important message: We're able to reduce deforestation.
'In Brazil's case, we managed to do that without sacrificing agricultural production or economic development. And I think this is very important.'
Even in Latin America, however, there is no guarantee that the gains of recent years will be sustained.
According to the report, forest protection in the region 'depends largely on the decisions of a small number of governments,' whose policies can change rapidly depending on election results.
In Colombia, newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella has signalled a break with his predecessor's forest protection policies by revoking restrictions on mining and pledging support for the expansion of oil and gas exploitation. Both measures pose potential threats to forests.
Meanwhile, in Peru, President Keiko Fujimori has promised to accelerate investments in mining, including through a system of express approval and tax incentives, putting even national protected areas in the Amazon at risk.
In Brazil, the current government has maintained a pro-forest stance, but a change in the presidential election in late October could have serious implications for the future of the Amazon, especially in the face of growing climate threats.
'Brazil's next president will govern during a window of extreme vulnerability, in which curbing deforestation will be the only lever left to keep the Amazon from the brink of disaster,' said Alencar.
She added: 'Regardless of the outcome, the agribusiness sector has shown that it can live with a significant reduction in deforestation.
'In recent years, we have achieved a significant reduction in deforestation and the sector has not been harmed.'

For the first time, deforestation in tropical Africa is now happening at a scale comparable with Latin America, one of the world's main deforestation hotspots, according to the report. NEWS ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Global deforestation fell last year, but not enough to meet the goal of zero deforestation by 2030, with action …

Global deforestation falls, but 2030 goal off track

ACF's latest report, "Bulldozers and Broken Promises," an investigation into deforestation, has ruffled a few feathers. But someone has to do it. Why? Because deforestation is a huge problem in…

MANAUS – A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
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The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A complaint has been filed with the Central Bank of Ireland against investment funds linked to the world's largest meat company accusing them of profiting from criminal deforestation of the Amazon.
The complaint alleges the activities of the funds, managed by BlackRock asset management in Dublin , amount to money laundering. Fourteen complaints in total have been filed in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK simultaneously in a co-ordinated action by an alliance of legal and environmental charities, including the Global Legal Action Network which was founded in Galway .
Their key target is JBS, the Brazilian based, Dutch-headquartered multinational meat and food producer of which Irishman Jerry O'Callaghan is chairman. But they are also going after the company's financial enablers – its banks, asset holders, lawyers and accountants. The Central Bank of Ireland declined to comment.
JBS did not reply but the company has defended its activities in the past, insisting it had no tolerance for illegal deforestation and had ended contracts with suppliers found raising cattle on unlawfully deforested lands. BlackRock acknowledged questions but did not answer them. The company has been accused of unethical and environmentally harmful investments in the past and has defended its activities, but it has not been accused of criminal behaviour in relation to them before.
Complaints were also lodged with the National Crime Agency in the UK, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and with regulators in all four countries citing nine firms of banks, investment managers, lawyers, accountants and auditors. The Transnational Legal Coalition , an alliance of five legal and environmental organisations which co-ordinated the action, said cattle ranching was the biggest driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon – most of it illegal.
It claimed there was extensive evidence linking JBS to that destruction as the company bought and processed beef raised on farms on deforested land. It said it followed that money made from that beef or from managing that money or investments and assets related to the activity was illegal under EU money laundering legislation. Bláithín Quigley, TLC co-ordinator, said this was the first in a series of planned actions targeting criminal deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model,' she said. 'Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades. ' Activist Alcebias Sapara, of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon, said while the destruction of forests was happening in Brazil, the crime was international.
'We seek justice in every country that, in one way or another, participates in this,' he said. 'If these criminal profits are being invested in Europe, then justice will be pursed there as well. '

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation. In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors. The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain. 'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC. The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added. JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them. 'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said. 'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added. Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London. The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports. By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws. The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG. The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system. Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain. ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships. KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations. Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment. Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam. Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps. AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers. Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life. These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing. Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis. JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force. When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .
The Associated Press
FILE - The main entrance of the meat processing company JBS is visible in Porto Velho, Rondonia state, Brazil, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Westpac is moving ahead of its peers on nature protection, releasing a new position on nature-related risks and opportunities and an update on its efforts to address customer deforestation, the Australian Conservation Foundation said.
The bank's sustainability report, released today, was accompanied by a new position on nature-related risks and a Nature Action Plan, the first among Australia's big banks.
While not going as far as restricting finance to agribusiness customers engaging in any deforestation, the bank has set requirements that customers with more than A$3 million in lending exposure must align with its deforestation mitigation hierarchy. This places avoiding deforestation as the priority outcome, followed by the reduction of impacts.
The bank assessed more than 2,000 agribusiness customers on their management of deforestation risk, finding just under half had a 'comprehensive' approach.
"Importantly, Westpac's definitions of forest and deforestation are credible and science aligned," said Max Hamra, ACF's Policy Analyst - Corporate Responsibility.
"Westpac should quickly enforce its new customer requirements in the first half of 2027 and escalate cases where customers are failing to ensure positive outcomes for nature.
"Misalignment with customer requirements must have consequences. We will continue to engage with the bank on the implementation of its requirements.
"It's excellent to see the bank backing farmers doing the right thing and helping the industry transition to nature-friendly farming, including providing education on natural capital. This is important work to better integrate the protection of nature into financial and agricultural systems.
"Westpac's new nature position also stipulates its commitment to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework vision for 2050. ACF welcomes this commitment and encourages the bank to go one better and support the 2030 goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and put nature on a path to recovery."
The bank recognises that 'nature and biodiversity are in decline faster than at any time in human history', and that 'when (natural) systems are degraded, it can reduce the resilience of our and our customers' operations.'
"Westpac's Australian peers should take note of these statements and the progress the bank has made, which is the result of significant work to improve its management of nature risk," Mr Hamra said.
Pic by Liv Casben

Westpac is moving ahead of its peers on nature protection, releasing a new position on nature-related risks and opportunities and an update on its

Westpac Moves Ahead Of Other Banks On Deforestation

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
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Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

The Presidency's Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) responded to Birgün's claims that "Türkiye is not protecting its forest resources and is increasing deforestation" by citing an FAO report, stating that these claims do not reflect the truth.
The Presidency's Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) announced that claims that Turkey is not protecting its forest resources and that deforestation is increasing do not reflect the truth.
DMM refuted claims that Türkiye is not protecting its forest resources and is increasing deforestation. The statement noted that forest resources have increased from 20.8 million hectares in 2002 to 23.4 million hectares, and according to FAO FRA 2025, Türkiye ranks first in Europe in afforestation.
The Presidency's Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) announced that claims that Türkiye is not protecting its forest resources and is increasing deforestation do not reflect the truth. It was stated that Türkiye's forest area has increased from 20.8 million hectares in 2002 to 23.4 million hectares, and that the forest share of the country's total land area has reached 30 percent.
Breaking news: The Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) has denied a news report claiming that "Turkey is not protecting its forest resources and is increasing deforestation."

The Presidency's Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) announced that claims that Türkiye is not protecting its forest resources and is increasing deforestation do not…

DMM Refutes Claims Regarding Türkiye's Forest Resources! It Has Reached 23.4 Million Hectares.

MANAUS, Brazil — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
"The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor," JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOAAssociated Press MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and…

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to...

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC. The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added. Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG. The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints.
Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain. ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations. Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains.
Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps. AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers. Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties.
Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life. These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing. Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it.
Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis. JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area.
The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force. When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia.
However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content.
Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed complaints with European authorities against JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, over alleged money laundering linked to illega

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The Associated Press

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
Aligned groups focus on JBS from Europe
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
Complaints relied on supply chain and deforestation data
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands , quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
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Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

How DeForest Buckner envisions his 49ers return: 'Super Bowl or bust' Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is back in a No. 99 jersey with the 49ers as they prepare to host the Raiders

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Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner made it clear that if the Indianapolis Colts traded him, his preferred destination was the San Francisco 49ers. Indianapolis honored that request, allowing the veteran defensive lineman to return to the team that drafted him.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — DeForest Buckner returned to the San Francisco 49ers when the team acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 27, sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to Indianapolis. Buckner, who was the No. 7 overall pick in 2016, said he wanted to be traded to San Francisco and added, 'I didn't want […]
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MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Δ

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades,' said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with clients exposed to risk of deforestation while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages — breeding, rearing and fattening — on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
___
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Submit Correction Δ

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — A coalition of environmental and human rights advocacy groups has filed 14 legal complaints with European financial regulators and prosecutors against JBS, the world's largest meat company, along with its banks, investment managers and advisers, accusing them of facilitating money laundering linked to alleged illegal Amazon deforestation.
In the filings, the group said Wednesday that JBS laundered proceeds connected to allegedly illegal deforestation in its Brazilian beef supply chain. The complaints were filed with financial regulators in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Britain's National Crime Agency and Dutch bodies overseeing financial and legal professionals. A separate criminal referral against JBS's Dutch parent company was filed with Dutch prosecutors.
The coalition hopes to prompt investigations and put financiers and advisers on notice about potential legal consequences of deforestation in JBS's supply chain.
'Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is a crime, not a business model. Indigenous communities and various civil society groups have been fighting corporate profiteering from this destruction for decades," said Bláithín Quigley, coordinator for the newly formed Transnational Legal Coalition, or TLC.
The coalition 'was formed to coordinate legal efforts to tackle involvement in serious environmental crime, across global value chains,' he added.
JBS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had not received the data or methodology behind the allegations, preventing the company from independently evaluating the claims or responding to them.
'Since 2010, JBS has monitored its cattle suppliers in the Amazon. Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, it assesses each transaction against industry-wide criteria set out in a protocol established by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Office,' the company said.
'The system analyzes more than 600,000 square kilometers of Brazilian territory every day and automatically blocks farms with illegal deforestation, embargoed areas, overlap with Indigenous lands, quilombola territories or conservation units, or slave-like labor,' JBS added.
The coalition of groups includes the Global Legal Action Network, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Mighty Earth, FIND and a law professor from King's College London.
The legal rationale for bringing the cases before European authorities is JBS' ties to financial institutions in Europe, not the continent's consumption of beef from JBS, according to the TLC. Around 70% of the beef produced in Brazil is consumed domestically. Of the country's exports, official data show that the largest share goes to North America, with the U.S. at 21.5%. Europe accounted for 18.8% of Brazilian beef exports.
By turning to European authorities, the coalition hopes to use anti-money laundering laws to hold companies and their financial partners accountable for proceeds linked to alleged illegal deforestation. The complaints allege that JBS uses revenue from sales of such cattle to pay EU-based financiers and advisers, triggering obligations under anti-money laundering laws.
The group targeted Barclays, Standard Chartered and the London branches of Bank of Montreal and Banco do Brasil; Dutch banks Rabobank and ING; BlackRock Asset Management in Ireland and Germany; and JBS's legal, accounting and auditing advisers in the Netherlands: Loyens & Loeff, EY and KPMG.
The AP contacted all the companies named in the complaints. Rabobank declined to comment on specific clients but said its policy bars financing deforestation, accepting new clients whose land has been illegally deforested since Jan. 1, 2018, or taking as collateral Amazon land deforested after that date, even when the clearing was legal. The bank added that it is committed to preventing and detecting money laundering and regularly strengthens its controls to protect the integrity of the financial system.
Banco do Brasil said it had not seen the complaint and that it complies with anti-money laundering rules, monitors environmental and social risks, and follows industry guidelines aimed at addressing illegal deforestation risks in the beef supply chain.
ING also said it has not seen the complaint and thus could not comment. The company said it works with high-risk clients in line with international standards while applying safeguards against financial crime, but it does not comment on individual client relationships.
KPMG said it has not been contacted or seen any document from TLC and therefore could not comment. The company added it complies with applicable anti-money laundering laws and professional obligations.
Loyens & Loeff and Standard Chartered said that they could not comment due to client confidentiality. BlackRock and Barclays also declined to comment.
Founded in Brazil in 1953, JBS operates in more than 180 countries and reported $86.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 while retaining a listing on Brazil's B3 exchange. As part of the move, JBS incorporated in the Netherlands and moved its headquarters from Sao Paulo to Amsterdam.
The complaints argue that revenue from cattle raised on allegedly illegally cleared land constitutes criminal proceeds and that banks, investment managers and professional advisers failed to meet obligations to detect and report suspicious transactions. They draw on commissioned research by the nonprofit AidEnvironment, which monitors deforestation and supply chains. Researchers used Brazil's mandatory animal health and movement records to identify farms linked to cattle purchased by JBS slaughterhouses, then cross-referenced those properties with official deforestation maps.
AidEnvironment's analysis covered 21 JBS slaughterhouses across five states in Brazil's Amazon region: Acre, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia and Tocantins. It identified 3,329 direct suppliers and 9,247 indirect suppliers.
Brazilian beef cattle generally pass through three stages -- breeding, rearing and fattening -- on one farm or across several properties. Direct suppliers sell cattle to slaughterhouses, while indirect suppliers breed or raise them earlier in life.
These transfers can enable 'cattle laundering': animals raised on illegally deforested land moved to compliant farms before slaughter, concealing their origins. Transfers are also routine in cattle production and do not, by themselves, indicate wrongdoing.
Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest so cattle can graze. Biodiversity is threatened as trees that absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, are replaced by cattle that emit methane, which also exacerbates the climate crisis.
JBS has faced legal complaints in Brazil over illegal deforestation. In October 2025, Rondonia's government overruled its own state attorneys and rescinded a fine against JBS for trading cattle raised in a deforested protected area. The case followed a four-year investigation, but the state attorney general later said the fine relied on legislation no longer in force.
When the lawsuits were filed, JBS declined to comment on its operations in Rondonia. However, it cited an audit, published by Brazil's Federal Prosecution Service in 2023, that found 94% of its cattle purchases were from legal sources. When the audit was released, the company said it was working toward '100% compliance' while noting it worked with thousands of cattle sellers across the region.
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

In the past few years of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva' regime in Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon has slowed by 71.2 percent compared to the 2022 levels left behind by the previous administration, while the destruction in the Cerrado (Brazil's highly threatened savanna region) also fell by 23.8 percent .
Spurred by dropping deforestation rates (historically the country's main source of carbon), Brazil's national greenhouse gas emissions fell by 6.1 percent in 2025.
Analysis shows that Lula's strict reinforcement of environmental laws has successfully saved at least 20,000 square kilometers of forest from destruction in the last four years.
Lula's stay in office has therefore meant record-low deforestation, a Post-Bolsonaro decline, avoided loss of forests, and broader ecosystem relief.
By crushing the deforestation rate to an all-time low, Lula's administration has literally bought humanity time, keeping the world's largest carbon sink alive and functional, crucial since climate scientists warn that if 20 to 25 percent of the Amazon rainforest is cleared, it will reach a catastrophic 'tipping point'.
By providing ecosystem relief, destruction in the critically threatened Cerrado savanna biome dropped by 48.4 percent to approximately 5,517 square kilometers, marking its lowest clearing rate since 2001.
By saving 20,000 square kilometers of dense tropical rainforest, the Lula regime prevented roughly one billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere, a statistic roughly equivalent to the entire landmass of Amsterdam, Netherlands, or about 2.5 times the size of Manhattan, New York.
A good thing with Lula, because through him major rivers with global importance are serving, a huge quantity of carbon dioxide has been prevented from entering the atmosphere, and the world's largest carbon sink has been kept as live and functional.
Following his historic reelection to a fourth presidential term, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's climate agenda should be focused on achieving zero net deforestation by 2030, reducing national emissions by up to 59 to 67 percent by 2035, and solidifying Brazil's position as a global climate diplomat.
Formalizing and safeguarding lands remains vital, as studies show that local management acts as some of the most effective barriers against forest loss and degradation in about 1.2 million square kilometers of Indigenous land.
On the geopolitical stage, Lula should transition from a symbolic climate leader into an aggressive institutional architect, by backing the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which aims to raise an initial $100 billion to structurally incentivize global tropical forest conservation.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva plays a vital role in global climate change mitigation, primarily through his stewardship and protection of the Brazilian Amazon, and he could do even more by balancing economic dependence on fossil fuels with a green energy transition that remains an ongoing hurdle.

In the past few years of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva' regime in Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon has slowed by 71.2 percent compared to the 2022 levels left behind by the previous…

Global Deforestation

This section is intended to collect data on the current status of global deforestation. This is accomplished through the utilization of APIs, databases, news sources, MapBuilders, and academic journals.

Global forest loss map

News List

Business leaders urge COP31 Presidency to commit to global action on clean electrification and heavy industry to keep global warming well below 2°C

Central Bank asked to look into JBS and BlackRock over illegal deforestation

Investigation links Australian deforestation to beef farming and major bank loans

JBS faces complaints filed over alleged links to Amazon deforestation