Court confirms World Animal Protection’s right to protest against JBS

We welcome the decision of the São Paulo State Court of Justice, which confirmed the legitimacy of our peaceful demonstrations against JBS, the world's largest meat producer.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by JBS after our demonstrations in Brazil on 28th and 29th April 2024, which exposed the company's lack of commitment to the environment, climate, and animal welfare.

Court confirms right to peaceful protest

In a first-instance ruling, the court recognised that our demonstrations were carried out within the constitutional right to freedom of expression, as set out in Brazil's 1988 Federal Constitution.

The judge confirmed that the protests were peaceful, legitimate, and based on widely known issues linked to JBS's industrial livestock production chain.

The ruling also found no misuse of the JBS brand on our "Climate Villains" campaign website or social media channels, and as such, no removal of our content was ordered.

Details of our demonstrations

On 28 and 29 April, our Brazil Team carried out a peaceful protest in São Paulo, both in person and online.

A truck wrapped with images and messages identifying JBS as one of the "climate villains" drove through the city's historic downtown and major commercial areas.

The protest was deliberately timed to coincide with JBS's General Assembly, raising awareness among the public and investors about the environmental destruction and animal suffering linked to the company's industrial livestock farming.

Why this decision matters

This ruling is an important recognition of civil society's role in holding companies accountable for the environmental and animal welfare impacts of their business practices.

We will continue to expose the links between industrial livestock, climate breakdown, and animal suffering.

JBS is a climate culprit

JBS is the largest meat producer in the world and a major driver of environmental destruction. Its industrial livestock operations are directly linked to deforestation in the Amazon and other critical ecosystems, releasing vast amounts of carbon and methane into the atmosphere.

The company’s supply chain has been repeatedly associated with illegal deforestation and land grabbing, threatening biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous communities.

Livestock production on this scale contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, making JBS one of the biggest corporate contributors to the climate crisis.

Alongside the environmental toll, JBS’s industrial farming model causes immense animal suffering. Billions of animals are raised in factory farming systems that prioritise profit over welfare, denying them the ability to live natural lives.

For these reasons, we have identified JBS as one of the leading climate culprits.

Despite knowledge of these offences being widely known, earlier this year JBS was allowed to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. 

We continue to call on governments, investors, and consumers to hold the company accountable, and to push for a transition away from industrial livestock farming towards food systems that protect animals, people, and the planet.