Stop implementation of JBS’ $2.5bn deal, farmers, CSOs tell FG

Farmers, members of the civil society organizations (CSOs) and community leaders have called on the Federal Government to halt implementation of a $2.5 billion investment plan it entered into with Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS. This, they submitted, is to allow the government conduct comprehensive, independent Environmental Impact Assessments and Social Impact Assessments with mandatory community […]

Farmers, members of the civil society organizations (CSOs) and community leaders have called on the Federal Government to halt implementation of a $2.5 billion investment plan it entered into with Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS.

This, they submitted, is to allow the government conduct
comprehensive, independent Environmental Impact Assessments and Social Impact
Assessments with mandatory community consultation (including
traditional rulers) and transparent public scrutiny.

Daily Trust reports that JBS had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan, to construct six new meat factories in Nigeria aimed at developing the country’s meat processing sector.

JBS is a Brazilian multinational corporation and one of the world’s largest meat producers, specializing in beef, poultry, and pork, with operations in multiple countries.

According to a report by Reuters, three of the factories would deal in poultry, two in beef and one in pork.

JBS Global Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Tomazoni explained that JBS’s objective is not just to build new factories, but also to contribute to solving critical challenges such as food insecurity and fostering socioeconomic progress

However, some stakeholders have faulted the investment deal, describing it as undemocratic.

Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the South West Regional Workshop on the ‘Implications of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria’, stakeholders said the $2.5 billion JBS investment lacks rigorous oversight mechanisms, proper
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Social Impact Assessment, community
consultation processes, and transparency measures, despite its potential for
widespread community displacement.

The workshop, which was organised by the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN) in collaboration with HOMEF, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, HEDA Resource Centre and World Animal Protection, attracted diverse participants including members of the civil society organizations, farmers, community leaders, government officials, and concerned
citizens.

“Our biggest issue with the MoU at this stage is that it’s not democratic, it’s not available in the public space, they need to make it available, make their process more consultative,” Sulaimon Arigbabu, from the HEDA Resources Centre, told Daily Trust at the workshop.

Arigbabu said the concerns need to be addressed urgently as it may become triggers of conflict in the nearer future.

“By then, the cost of addressing the conflict will be much more than whatever discomfort they might experience during the MoU at this stage,” he said.

Sejiro Oke-Tojinu, who is the former President of the Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN) also insisted that relevant stakeholders were not carried along in the signing of the MoU.

“Since that was not done, I think we can’t trust the MoU,” he said.

Oluwaseyi OLAWUYI, Project Lead at YARN, said the workshop centered on assessing the impact of the investment deal on small holder farmers and economy as well as its health and environmental implications.

“We are not against developmental projects or anti – progress but we just want to have a safe landing so that at the end of the day it’ll be a win-win situation for everyone,” Olawuyi said.

In the communique issued after the workshop, the participants urged
the Federal Government “to publish and make publicly accessible the complete
Memorandum of Understanding signed with JBS, allowing for proper scrutiny by
citizens, civil society, and stakeholders, as this is a public document that belongs in
the public domain.”

They also asked the FG “to halt the implementation of the JBS project until
comprehensive, independent Environmental Impact Assessments and Social Impact
Assessments are conducted with mandatory community consultation (including  traditional rulers) and transparent public scrutiny.”