Modern Slavery in the World’s Meat Sector Giants: A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Labour Law and Anti-slavery Initiatives in Australia and Brazil

• In Event: Settler States, Temporary Labour: A Multi-sited Analysis of Social Reproduction, Transnationality, and Migration Management

Abstract

Australia and Brazil are titans of the global meat industry. This paper examines the efforts and challenges of curbing modern slavery within meat value chains. Through a comparative lens, it explores the hurdles confronting workers in both nations and scrutinises regulatory and normative frameworks designed to protect them. The study traverses meat value chains from livestock rearing to the export of raw materials, comparing the effectiveness of labour law based on an analysis of labour codes, court cases, and labour inspectorate investigations. It also examines mechanisms beyond conventional labour laws, focusing on Labour Hire Licensing schemes and the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (MSA) in Australia, and Article 149 of the Penal Code and the "Dirty List" in Brazil. In Australia, landmark investigations like Baiada revealed wage theft, illegal deductions, sham contracting, and opaque chains. While links were found between exploitation and major poultry brands, their indirect nature meant only minor actors were prosecuted. Although MSA mandates reporting by large companies, most failed to identify meat as high risk or to disclose substantive actions. In Brazil, over 60,000 workers have been rescued from slavery-like conditions since 1995. Article 149 penalises forced labour and debt bondage. The Dirty List restricts offending entities from public contracts or financing. Meat has the highest incidence of rescues, often due to degrading work conditions. The paper concludes that the diverse and opaque nature of meat supply chains breeds significant regulatory gaps and greater structural reform is needed to eradicate modern slavery from both countries’ meat supply chains.

Author

• Ema Moolchand, RMIT