The Butchers from Brazil: The corporate colossus devouring Australia’s food business
The Butchers from Brazil: The corporate colossus devouring Australia’s food business
Posted Mon 25 Apr 2022, 8:30pm
“I was gutted. Please not JBS taking over our abattoir.”
Tammi Jonas, Australian pig farmer
The Butchers from Brazil: The corporate colossus devouring Australia’s food business
See Video
"The control they exert is enormous." Pork producer, Victoria
JBS is the corporate food giant you’ve probably never heard of, but it controls a huge amount of the food you eat, owning some of the most popular brands found in our supermarket aisles, from Coles and Woolworths to Aldi. You’ll also find their meat between your burger buns at McDonald’s.
"If you walked down the street and said, ‘Who’s JBS?’ No one would know. I think that’s been clever in the sense they’ve created brands within their brand." Cattle producer and butcher
From beef and pork to lamb and even salmon, JBS’s products end up on countless Australian plates. What many consumers don’t know is the scandalous corporate practices behind the company.
"I think it will come as a surprise to a lot of your viewers that a Brazilian company, linked to so many scandals across so many continents…has been allowed to come into Australia and expand in the way that it has." Investigative reporter, UK.
Four Corners investigates the corporate colossus that has taken a major slice of Australia’s food production sector while being exposed internationally for bribery, corruption and environmental vandalism.
"JBS is a company under investigation in many countries except Australia, where they seem to be encouraged and supported and where no powerful person seems willing to say anything against them." Author, Tasmania
The program tracks their corporate malpractices around the world and the scale of the revelations is staggering.
"This is certainly one of the biggest corruption schemes ever revealed in the world." Transparency activist
Here in Australia some are questioning why the company’s practices aren’t receiving more scrutiny after their recent acquisitions received the green light from regulators.
"You have to ask, what is going on? Why is that company so supported by our politicians?" Author, Tasmania
And international law makers have a warning for Australians.
"I would not trust them with a fragile environment anywhere. They have demonstrated their willingness for corruption, pollution, and illegal activity…So be wary in Australia." US Congresswoman
You can read a response from JBS Brazil to questions from Four Corners here.
A statement from JBS Australia can be found here.