Greenpeace files Dutch court action to block JBS expansion

Global meat processor JBS is planning a US $5 billion expansion into Southeast Asia through a new joint venture with Danantara, Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, according to Greenpeace. The proposed venture aims to combine JBS operations in Australia and New Zealand under a holding company registered in the Netherlands.

JBS Expands Operations Across Southeast Asia

The industrial meat expansion combines the company’s Australian and New Zealand holdings into a joint partnership with Danantara, Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund. The holding company is registered in the Netherlands, which has served as JBS corporate headquarters since 2025. Greenpeace Netherlands reported that the venture seeks to raise US $5 billion to fund further expansion across Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Greenpeace Nordic estimated that JBS pumps out more superheating methane gas than fossil fuel giants ExxonMobil and Shell combined.

Land Clearing and Deforestation in Indonesia

Greenpeace Indonesia released a report in 2025 calculating that clearing 560,000 hectares for planned sugarcane plantations in South Papua releases 221 million tonnes of CO₂, an amount equivalent to driving 48 million cars for a full year. The government initiative, known as the Food and Energy Estate program, has involved state pressure and military presence in South Papua to advance projects on Indigenous lands. A documentary titled Pig Feast co-produced by Greenpeace Indonesia documented these developments despite efforts by local authorities to prevent screenings. Kiki Taufik, Global Head of the Indonesian Forest Campaign, stated that Papua is not a wasteland or a new land bank for industrial expansion and called for authorities to halt projects threatening natural forests and customary territories.

Greenpeace Legal Challenge in the Netherlands

Greenpeace Netherlands filed a court action in the Netherlands to block the expansion plans of JBS, citing threats to climate stability, fragile ecosystems, and Indigenous lands. The legal challenge targets the corporate headquarters of the meat processor to halt the multibillion-dollar venture before industrial land clearing reaches forest floors in the region. Meanwhile, investigative reports continue to link the supply chains of JBS to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and Australia, where native forests are cleared for cattle pastures.

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