Brazil

Photo: Gleyson Miranda, 2010 – FUNAI files, source: Pueblos Indígenas en aislamiento voluntario y contacto inicial, IWGIA – IPES – 2012

For many years WRM has been denouncing the FSC certification of monoculture tree plantations. The scale of these monocultures is one of several reasons for such opposition. Large-scale tree plantations occupy vast areas of land leading to displacement of communities, they consume huge amounts of water and soil nutrients and require enormous amounts of agrochemicals. These characteristics make them intrinsically unsustainable and therefore they can’t be certified as ‘sustainable’.

Only available in Portuguese. By Antenor Vaz.

Throughout the month of September we will continue celebrating resistance to the advance of large-scale industrial tree plantations. This post in particular is about two actions being carried out by local communities that need everyone’s solidarity and support.

Only available in Portuguese -  11 de setembro – Dia Nacional do Cerrado. Movimento Geraizeiro apresenta suas reivindicações aos governos federal, estadual e municipais Neste momento centenas de famílias de Geraizeiros rumam para Vale das Cancelas para uma grande manifestação na BR 251 em Defesa dos Cerrados e de seus Povos. Viva o Cerrado e seus Povos!

 

 

Brazil’s coasts are seriously threatened by a range of large-scale projects. The privatization of waterbodies, concessions over public waters for free to big consumers, and installation of fish farms are some of the activities that are endangering the mangroves and the livelihoods of local communities.

 WRM information sheets on GE tree research First posted: 1 August 2008 Last update: August 2014 Tree species being manipulated: eucalyptus Aim of genetic manipulation (1,2)

The Araripe Plateau, as an elevated region, plays a key role in maintaining the local microclimate and in the region’s water cycle. It could also be considered the source of biodiversity in the region known as Sertão do Araripe Pernambucano. It is in this very region that a public-private partnership is promoting monoculture eucalyptus plantations as a source of energy for gypsum production. The public agencies involved are the Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco (IPA) and the Rural Federal University of Pernambuco, with the support of the state and federal governments.