SÃO PAULO ­– JBS S.A., the world’s largest meat processor, announced the donation of R$700 million ($121 million) to help fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the communities where its employees live and work around the world. R$400 million will go toward efforts in Brazil, with R$300 million going abroad, mostly to JBS communities in the United States.

“The world is experiencing an unprecedented challenge as we collectively face the coronavirus pandemic,” said Gilberto Tomazoni, global chief executive officer of JBS. “At JBS, we are guided by our culture and feel a responsibility to contribute to society and make a difference in people's lives by helping our communities confront this social crisis.” 

The R$300 milliondonated in the United States will support JBS communities with donations to provide food assistance, provide funds to help meet critical infrastructure needs, including providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to first responders, as well as support other community-related COVID-19 response efforts.

In Brazil, the donation will support public health, social assistance and scientific research and development. The donations will go to 162 municipalities and 17 states and will include providing masks, PPE, food assistance, hospital construction and additional Intensive Care Unit (ICU) resources around the country.

The donation in Brazil will be supported by an Advisory Committee, chaired by Fernando Andreatta Torelly, CEO of Hospital do Coração. Other committee members include Henrique Neves, CEO of Hospital Albert Einstein; Maurício de Lázzari Barbosa, chairman of the board of Bionexo; Mohamed Parrini, CEO of Hospital Moinhos de Vento of Porto Alegre; Roberto Kalil Filho, director of the Clinical Cardiology division of InCor; and general director of the Cardiology Center of Hospital Sírio-Libanês.