Brazilian authorities sue Cargill, JBS for labor abuses in their supply chains

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29 (Reuters) – Brazilian labor prosecutors have filed lawsuits against five firms over labor abuses in their supply chains, with grain trader Cargill and meatpacker JBS among those targeted, they said in a statement on Wednesday.

• Prosecutors are asking a court to order JBS to pay around 119 million reais ($23.78 million) in damages in a case in Para state, where workers were found in “slavery-like” conditions in the company’s supply chain.

• Cargill is being sued for 109 million reais for “grave violations of human rights” in its soy supply chain in Rondonia state.

• The lawsuits stem from a 2020 project to track supply chains aimed at fighting human trafficking and serious labor abuses.

• JBS has not yet received notification of the lawsuit, the firm said in a statement, adding that it follows “rigorous procedures” regarding its purchases and cattle monitoring.

• Cargill did not respond to a request for comment.

• Prosecutors also signed deals with nine firms that agreed to improve the tracking of labor abuses in their supply chains.

($1 = 5.0048 reais)

(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Kylie Madry and Chizu Nomiyama )