Minerva Foods

In 1924, the company originated as the Charqueada Minerva, founded in Barretos, São Paulo, by Antonio de Pádua Diniz. Following Diniz's death in 1925, the business experienced financial difficulties and was offered at auction in 1926. It was subsequently acquired by Antonio Manço Bernardes in partnership with Américo Grilli.

A modernization carried out in 1949 increased slaughtering capacity to 300 head of cattle per day, after which the company adopted the name Matadouro Industrial Minerva (Minerva Industrial Slaughterhouse).

In 1971, the company was renamed Frigorífico Minerva (Minerva Slaughterhouse).

During the 1980s, Frigorífico Minerva faced severe financial problems and ultimately declared bankruptcy. In 1992, the company's bankrupt estate was acquired by the Vilela de Queiroz family, which had longstanding involvement in livestock transportation. Following the acquisition, the business was reestablished as Indústria e Comércio de Carnes Minerva Ltda.

The company's expansion accelerated in the following years. In 1999, Minerva leased and acquired a slaughtering and processing facility in José Bonifácio, São Paulo. A second unit, located in Cajamar, São Paulo, was leased in 2001.

In 2004, Minerva inaugurated a new slaughtering and processing plant in Palmeiras de Goiás, Goiás. Two years later, the company leased another industrial unit in Batayporã, Mato Grosso do Sul.

Expansion continued in 2007. The company began construction of a cooked and frozen meat processing facility in Barretos through a joint venture with the Irish company Dawn Farms. During the same year, it initiated the construction of a new plant in Rolim de Moura, Rondônia, and acquired industrial units in Araguaína, Tocantins, and Redenção, Pará.

In 2008, Minerva acquired the Lord Meat slaughterhouse in Goianésia, Goiás, in a transaction valued at approximately R$60 million.

Controversies

Accusation of Purchasing Cattle from Deforested Areas

According to NGOs such as Greenpeace and Global Witness, Minerva Foods and other Brazilian meatpacking companies reportedly maintained a scheme throughout the year 2021 to purchase cattle from farms owned by Chaules Volban Pozzebon, the leader of a criminal organization involved in land invasion and extortion, known as the 'largest deforester in Brazil'. Minerva is accused of having bought at least 672 animals from farms implicated in environmental crimes.

In a statement, Minerva Foods stated that they conducted a detailed assessment of each of the 16 mentioned farms and found no alleged violations as claimed by the NGOs. According to the company, three of the mentioned farms were not registered in the company's database, and the remaining 13 fully complied with the sustainability criteria.