JBS USA and Pilgrim’s to invest $200m for Covid-19 response efforts

US-based food company and Pilgrim’s Pride majority stakeholder JBS USA is planning to invest more than $200m to support its team members and local communities in the country during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Under this new initiative, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s will invest more than $50m in the local communities where its team members live and work.

JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira said: “Since the arrival of the global coronavirus pandemic to the United States, our priority has been and remains the safety of our team members providing food for all of us.

“We recognise our responsibility as a food company during this crisis and we have continuously evolved our operations, based on the latest available guidance from experts, to improve our coronavirus preventive measures.

“We have already invested more than $100m to enhance safeguards for our workforce and more than $50m to reward our team members with thank-you bonuses. Today, we are also excited to reaffirm our long-standing commitment to the rural towns and cities we call home across America.”

By investing in local communities, the company intends to minimise the issue of food security to a certain extent, as well as strengthen long-term community infrastructure and well-being and support coronavirus emergency response and relief efforts.

JBS USA’s investment is part of the $120m global social commitment recently announced by the company.

JBS USA and Pilgrim’s also announced that they will invest in new technologies such as ultraviolet (UV) germicidal air sanitation, as well as plasma air technology to neutralise potential viruses in plant ventilation and air purification systems to reduce the spread of coronavirus in their facilities.

Nogueira added: “I could not be more proud of how our team members have responded to this challenging time.

“We salute the men and women who are supplying food to those who need it most and the local communities that have always sustained our business.

“We are not perfect and this has not been an easy time for any of us, but we are working tirelessly to keep our team members safe and provide food for the country during this pandemic. We are all in this fight together.”

Last month, JBS USA announced the partial reopening of its pork production facility in Worthington, Minnesota.