23.6 million hectares of Brazilian cattle farms linked to JBS, Minerva, and Marfrig   

A recent update to AidEnvironment’s database includes direct and indirect suppliers of JBS, Marfrig and Minerva, the three largest meatpackers in Brazil, covering 23.6 million hectares. That area is larger in size than the island forming Great Britain (20.93 million ha). Our sample identified 23,594 direct supplying farms and 47,338 indirect supplying farms linked to the three largest meatpackers in seven different Brazilian states. 

AidEnvironment uses this dataset to monitor deforestation and fires within the meatpackers’ supply chains, contributing to Civil Society Organizations campaigns such as Mighty Earth’s Rapid Response and Rainforest Foundation Norway’s recent report focused on the leather supply chain, and articles garnering media attention, for instance in the Washington Post and The Guardian.  

While the numbers of direct and indirect suppliers are high, they represent just a sample of the full meatpackers’ supplier base, which is mostly unknown. For example, JBS alone has approximately 80,000 direct suppliers in Brazil, covering an area of 85 million hectares. 

AidEnvironment frequently updates its datasets in collaboration with Brazilian partners. Realtime Deforestation Monitoring Reports are also released monthly. 

For more information contact Marco Garcia: garcia@aidenvironment.org