Trumps beef import plan raises questions about JBS influence
Trump’s beef import plan raises questions about JBS influence
What happened: Joesley Batista, a major shareholder and board member of JBS, met with President Trump in the Oval Office on August 20th to discuss how additional Brazilian beef imports could help lower U.S. prices if Trump reduced tariffs. The following day, Trump took to social media to announce a plan to temporarily allow up to 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings into the U.S. without a tariff, with the administration saying the move would help bring down high beef prices. The details of Batista’s meeting with President Trump come as the first imports under the plan are set to enter the U.S. duty-free today, beginning a 90-day period for the imports.
Source: WSJ
Why it matters: This is the latest in a series of controversial administration decisions that stand to benefit JBS, even when the benefits for American farmers and consumers are far less clear. The administration has rolled back Packers and Stockyards Act protections for farmers, increased poultry processing line speeds, and its SEC cleared the way for JBS’s long-sought U.S. stock listing. Those actions come after JBS-owned Pilgrim’s Pride contributed $5 million to Trump’s inauguration—the largest contribution from any donor. Now, a JBS owner reportedly had direct access to President Trump immediately before the administration announced a beef import policy that could further benefit the company. Taken together, the pattern raises serious questions about JBS’s access and influence over policies affecting American farmers and consumers.
Trump endorses data centers
What happened: In a recent Truth Social post, President Trump expressed his support for data centers, stating that the only reason a community wouldn’t want a data center is if they want “to end up being backwards and poor.” The President continued on to say that allowing data centers was the pathway towards successful and rich communities, and said that data centers will lead to lower taxes and plentiful jobs. He also added that the anti-data center movement benefits Chinese interests.
Source: Truth Social post, Hagstrom report
Why it matters: President Trump’s comments dismiss the legitimate concerns of rural communities already experiencing the costs of rapid data center development. Communities aren’t resisting development because they want to remain “backwards and poor”—they are raising concerns about farmland loss, higher electricity costs, strained water supplies, persistent noise pollution, and taxpayer-funded infrastructure, often while data center companies receive substantial tax breaks and incentives.
More broadly, the comments reflect a disconnect from the reality facing rural communities, which have repeatedly been promised jobs and prosperity from large-scale corporate development only to shoulder many of the costs.
Farm Action has called for a pause in data center development, until stronger protections are in place. Rural communities should have a meaningful say in whether and how these projects move forward—and should not be dismissed for demanding that development actually benefit the people who live there.
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