By Abbas Nazil
Greenpeace Netherlands has taken legal action against global meat producer JBS, asking a Dutch court to compel the company to disclose information about its planned $2.5 billion investment in Nigeria as concerns grow over possible environmental, climate and human rights impacts of the expansion.
The environmental organisation petitioned the court seeking access to corporate documents and information it says are necessary to challenge JBS’s business practices and expansion plans through potential litigation.
The Nigerian investment forms part of JBS’s wider $6 billion global expansion programme, with almost half of the planned investment expected to be directed towards industrial livestock production in Nigeria.
Greenpeace Africa has raised concerns that the expansion could contribute to environmental degradation, threaten smallholder farmers and create risks for local food systems.
Elizabeth Atieno, Food Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, accused JBS of having a history linked to environmental destruction, high greenhouse gas emissions, human rights concerns and corruption allegations, warning that the company’s expansion model could create similar challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.
She said communities in Nigeria are concerned that large-scale industrial livestock development could displace smallholder farmers and increase pressure on natural resources.
Greenpeace argued that JBS has failed to provide adequate information about its climate, biodiversity and human rights impacts, making access to company records essential before any formal legal challenge.
The organisation said the case could become one of the largest climate-related legal actions targeting the livestock industry, a sector widely recognised as a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane emissions.
Marieke Vellekoop, Executive Director of Greenpeace Netherlands, said the company’s lack of transparency had forced the organisation to seek intervention from the Dutch courts after JBS failed to respond to a formal disclosure request submitted in April.
She said the legal action aims to establish that companies operating through Dutch corporate structures must comply with transparency requirements and responsibilities relating to climate and human rights impacts.
The dispute centres on concerns that JBS has not conducted publicly available environmental impact assessments or consultations with affected communities in Nigeria before proceeding with its expansion plans.
Civil society groups in Nigeria have warned that large-scale livestock production could increase pressure on land resources, affect local livelihoods and worsen ecological challenges.
Greenpeace Netherlands said its lawyers believe JBS’s past activities and future expansion plans may conflict with the company’s climate and biodiversity responsibilities under Dutch law.
The environmental group is relying on new Dutch legislation that allows organisations with legitimate interests to request specific corporate information needed for possible legal proceedings.
If the court rules in favour of Greenpeace, JBS could be required to provide documents and allow senior company officials to give evidence under oath.
The case could potentially involve testimony from the company’s executives, including the Batista family, who control JBS operations.
JBS became a Dutch entity, JBS N.V., last year as part of plans for a dual listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company has faced increasing scrutiny over its environmental commitments, with Greenpeace criticising its recent decision to abandon targets aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and eliminating deforestation from its supply chain.
The environmental organisation also expressed concern over changes to JBS policies that removed explicit references to Indigenous lands.
Greenpeace said these developments raise questions about whether the company intends to expand without sufficient consideration of climate, biodiversity and social impacts.
The legal action comes as environmental groups continue to demand greater accountability from multinational companies involved in agriculture and food production, arguing that corporate expansion must align with environmental protection, community rights and global climate goals.
