November 26, 2024. Nairobi, Kenya – World Animal Protection is deeply concerned by the announcement that JBS, one of the world’s largest food companies, is expanding into Nigeria with a $2.5 billion investment plan. While JBS touts this move as an effort to boost local food security and develop sustainable production chains, we must carefully consider the animal welfare and environmental implications of this expansion and the sustainability of the whole project.
Tennyson Williams – Director for Africa at World Animal Protection
Factory farming, which JBS is known for, has been linked to a myriad of issues. The mass production of poultry, beef, and pork often involves close confinement of animals in deplorable conditions, leading to significant suffering. As JBS builds six new factories in Nigeria, it raises concerns about the welfare of millions of animals that will inevitably be subjected to factory farm conditions, where their fundamental needs for space, movement, and social interaction are ignored in favour of business-oriented production.
Africa, including Nigeria, faces serious climate change challenges. Introducing JBS’s industrial animal agriculture model—known for its high carbon footprint—can worsen the country’s climate crisis and undermine its commitment to the Paris Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Tennyson Williams, The Director for Africa at World Animal Protection said, “Food sovereignty is a critical issue in Nigeria and Africa at large. Local communities must have control over their own food systems, ensuring that they can produce food sustainably and withstand global market fluctuations. JBS’s factory farming model conflicts with this vision, as it prioritizes profit over the welfare of animals, people and the environment.”
To truly tackle food insecurity in Nigeria, the focus should shift to supporting equitable, humane and sustainable food systems which prioritize smallholder farmers enhancing agroecological practices. By providing technical assistance, access to markets, and resources to local farmers, Nigeria can ensure food security without relying on large-scale, profit-driven factory-farming practices disguised as food security and job creation opportunities. Indigenous food systems, which are less resource-intensive, can help address hunger while minimizing environmental damage.
Additionally, the creation of green jobs in sustainable agriculture, such as agroforestry, organic farming, and eco-tourism, will provide long-term employment opportunities, while protecting the environment. These jobs are not only more sustainable but also contribute to the local economy by strengthening rural communities that feed the growing population.
