Letitia James Holds Firms to Account for Ads
Your March 6 editorial “The Letitia James Business Model” criticizes the New York attorney general’s decision to charge the world’s largest beef producer, JBS USA, with misrepresenting its carbon emissions.
Following an investigation, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division determined that the firm’s advertising claims were unsubstantiated and recommended they be discontinued. After the decision was affirmed on appeal, JBS agreed to comply.
Despite agreeing to comply with our recommendations, JBS USA continued to advertise it would be “net zero by 2040.” Had JBS USA followed our recommendations, as hundreds of other businesses have done in our 53 year history, it might not be defending law enforcement action.
The problem Ms. James found with JBS USA isn’t that the company is growing its business; it’s that the company made unfounded claims about the environmental impact of its business. Holding businesses accountable for the promises they make isn’t antibusiness; it’s vital for marketplace trust.
Originally published in the Wall Street Journal