The U.S. division of JBS, the Brazilian meat powerhouse, has partnered with GreenGasUSA to convert animal waste from cows and chickens into renewable fuel. As the world’s leading meat producer, JBS is taking significant steps to align with food and beverage industry trends focused on sustainability.
In its announcement, JBS noted that GreenGasUSA, based in South Carolina, will be key in collecting, processing, and trading biogas—composed primarily of methane—at two beef processing facilities in Nebraska and Utah, along with a chicken plant in South Carolina. This initiative is expected to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions comparable to driving 60 million miles in a car or burning 26 million pounds of coal each year.
According to JBS, the installation of GreenGasUSA’s on-site gas upgrading systems will enable biogas sourced from wastewater at its facilities to be refined into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG). This innovation is aimed at helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
The project located at the Sumter, South Carolina facility is anticipated to be completed by early 2025, while the installations in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Hyrum, Utah, are scheduled for completion later that year.
Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of JBS USA, emphasized the company’s commitment to minimizing the environmental footprint associated with food production. He stated, “At JBS and Pilgrim’s, we’re committed to reducing the impact of food production by partnering with stakeholders to reduce our carbon footprint. This collaboration with GreenGasUSA is a perfect example of these efforts. This innovative approach takes what was once an unused by-product of food production and transforms it to offset a significant amount of fossil fuels.”
GreenGasUSA’s CEO and founder, Marc Fetten, also highlighted the advantages of their partnership with JBS. He remarked, “We see tremendous opportunity in our partnership with JBS USA to significantly reduce on-site environmental impacts, produce sustainable, renewable energy, and support climate change initiatives in other industries.”
JBS has pledged to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. In its 2023 sustainability report, released last month, the company revealed it has already invested over $150 million in various projects aimed at reducing Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, resulting in a 17% decrease in intensity since 2019.
However, the company faces mounting scrutiny regarding its environmental practices, especially as it seeks approval to trade its shares in New York. In February, New York State initiated legal action against JBS, accusing the firm of misleading customers about its sustainability claims. State Attorney General Letitia James has urged the New York County Supreme Court to compel JBS to abandon its 2040 net-zero commitment.
In March of this year, JBS’s emissions targets were removed from the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) registry, an organization that assists companies in establishing science-based emissions reduction targets. The firm was delisted for failing to set “a near-term target” and a “net-zero target.”
Furthermore, GreenGasUSA has previously announced partnerships to capture methane with various chicken producers, including Wayne-Sanderson Farms, a joint venture by Cargill and Continental Grain Co., as well as Perdue Farms. GreenGasUSA operates under IFM Investors, a fund manager backed by Australian pension funds.
In summary, JBS is striving to remain competitive in the food and drink business by innovating toward sustainability. The partnership with GreenGasUSA signifies a broader commitment to transforming waste into energy and responding to food and drink consumer trends focused on environmental responsibility.
