Greenpeace sues JBS over $2.5bn Nigeria meat project, citing climate risks

Environmental group Greenpeace Netherlands has initiated legal action against global meat giant JBS, targeting its planned $2.5 billion investment in Nigeria as part of a broader $6 billion global expansion.

In a legal letter delivered to the company’s Amsterdam headquarters, Greenpeace is demanding detailed disclosures on JBS’s climate, environmental and human rights impacts. The move marks the first step toward a potential court case in the Netherlands, where JBS recently relocated its corporate base.

At the heart of the dispute is Nigeria, where JBS signed an agreement with the federal government in November 2024 to build six meat-processing plants over five years. The investment, one of the largest proposed entries of industrial animal agriculture into Africa, has drawn scrutiny from civil society groups concerned about environmental degradation, public health risks and the displacement of smallholder farmers.

Greenpeace argues that JBS’s global growth model—built on large-scale livestock production—has historically been linked to deforestation, high greenhouse gas emissions and alleged human rights violations. It says replicating that model in Nigeria risks “locking in” emissions for decades while creating long-term ecological damage.

Elizabeth Atieno, a campaigner with Greenpeace Africa, said the company’s expansion into sub-Saharan Africa reflects a broader pattern of exporting environmentally harmful business practices to emerging markets. She warned that Nigeria could face consequences similar to those seen in extractive industries, where weak enforcement has allowed multinational firms to operate with limited accountability.

“Nigerians know well from the legacy of companies like Shell the destructive impact wrought by unchecked corporate power,” she said.

“This legal intervention affirms that corporations have obligations to transparency and human rights regardless where they operate in the world. The time of extractive industries operating with impunity on this continent is over. We must stop this new wave of destruction before it starts.”

JBS has yet to publicly respond to the latest action. Pluboard has contacted the company for comments.

Growing opposition

The legal action is grounded in Dutch corporate law, which requires companies domiciled in the Netherlands to uphold a duty of care aligned with international human rights standards. Greenpeace alleges that JBS may be in breach of these obligations, particularly if it proceeds without robust environmental and social safeguards.

Under recently strengthened disclosure rules, Greenpeace has given JBS three weeks to release internal assessments related to its past operations and planned expansion. Failure to comply could lead to a court application compelling testimony and document disclosure from senior executives, including the company’s controlling shareholders.

Marieke Vellekoop, executive director of Greenpeace Netherlands, described the action as an attempt to “force transparency” and lay the groundwork for what could become a landmark climate and biodiversity case against the global meat industry.

In Nigeria, opposition to the project is building. Advocacy groups, including the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, say there is no public evidence that JBS has conducted environmental impact assessments or consulted affected communities. Attempts to obtain information through Freedom of Information requests have reportedly gone unanswered.

The concerns echo longstanding debates over foreign investment in Nigeria’s resource sectors, particularly the legacy of oil operations in the Niger Delta. Activists argue that without stronger regulatory oversight, large-scale agribusiness could replicate similar patterns of environmental harm and social disruption.

The case also intersects with broader legal developments in Africa. Greenpeace Africa recently filed an amicus brief before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arguing that governments have a duty to prevent multinational corporations from undertaking projects that could undermine environmental and human rights protections.

For JBS, the legal challenge comes at a sensitive moment. The company completed its long-anticipated listing on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2025 and restructured as a Dutch entity, a move that now subjects it to stricter European legal scrutiny.