New York Attorney General Letitia James has reached a $1.1 million settlement with JBS USA Food Company and its holding company, subsidiaries of the JBS Group, the world’s largest beef producer. The agreement follows allegations that JBS USA misled consumers by promoting a commitment to achieve “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 without having a viable plan to meet this target.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) began investigating after JBS USA advertised its parent company’s climate goals. The investigation found that despite public statements, the company had not calculated its total greenhouse gas emissions or developed an actionable strategy for achieving net zero. Instead, internal plans indicated an intention to increase production, which would likely raise emissions.
Attorney General James said: “New Yorkers deserve the truth when it comes to the environmental impact of the products they buy. JBS USA made sweeping promises about its parent company’s climate impacts despite the company having no real plan to back those promises up. My office will always hold companies accountable when they mislead New Yorkers and harm our planet.”
JBS USA was sued in February 2024 for violating New York consumer protection laws by falsely advertising their climate commitments. The OAG found that marketing materials included claims such as:
“Agriculture can be part of the climate solution. Bacon, chicken wings, and steak with net zero emissions. It’s possible.”
“We will cut our own emissions by 30% in 2030 and eliminate Amazon deforestation from our supply chain within five years.”
“JBS will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, reducing its direct and indirect emissions and offsetting all residual emissions.”
These claims continued even after warnings from the Better Business Bureau National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD), which concluded that JBS USA lacked evidence for its net-zero assertions and recommended discontinuing such advertisements—a decision later upheld by the National Advertising Review Board.
Under the terms of the settlement, JBS USA will pay $1.1 million to support independent initiatives focused on climate-smart agriculture in New York State. These programs are intended to help farmers adopt practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing resiliency and productivity. The OAG will work with selected recipients to prioritize farms that have lost federal funding for supplying food banks.
Additionally, JBS USA is required to reform its environmental marketing practices immediately and submit annual compliance reports to OAG for three years verifying adherence to these reforms.
According to estimates from federal agencies, agriculture is responsible for roughly 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions annually, amounting to over 660 million metric tons each year. Beef production emits more greenhouse gases than any other major food commodity globally.
The case involved attorneys from both the Environmental Protection Bureau and Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau within the Attorney General’s office.
