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 CARG.UL and meatpacker JBS JBS.N 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.

• Neither firm immediately responded 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)