America

Articles from the WRM Bulletin

2018

• Sign on statement: “RSPO: failing to eliminate violence and destruction from the industrial palm oil sector”

• September 21st: International Day of Struggle Against Monoculture Tree Plantations

• Resistance by Women Defenders of Territory to Extractivism in Latin America

• How to Strengthen Resistance Movements?

2017

• Will the Paris Agreement Save Forests?

• Main initiatives to expand tree plantations in Latin America, Africa and Asia

2016

• “Consultation” as a tool of exclusion: A choreography that hides land grabbing

• Trade deals threaten peasant farmer’s stewardship of seed biodiversity

• REDD+ in Central America: it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission

• Racism: A Legacy of Colonial Power

• Environmental regulation in the Green Economy: Changed to facilitate destruction

• Community Mapping: Geo-graphing for Resistance

2015

• Yes to Life, No to Mining!

• Why the RSPO facilitates land grabs for palm oil

• Trade deals, agribusiness and the climate crisis

• Territories and food sovereignty: Where the struggles of peasants and forest communities converge

• Stora Enso and GM trees: Intensifying destruction of forests and peoples

• REDD Alert! How REDD+ projects undermine peasant farming and real solutions to climate change

• Mining, militarization and criminalization of social protests in Latin America

• Manifesto for the International Day for the defense of the mangrove forests

• Logging concessions; basis of an industry, or political control?

• Industrial oil palm plantations: A model that violates forest-dependent peoples and their territories

• In defence of life in the Amazon, humanity and the planet

• Femicide and Impunity: A humanitarian crisis in Central America, and a growing problem worldwide

• Corporate smart agriculture

• Activate Resistance against Monocultures

2014

• Women fighting against extractive industries

• Why are women fighting against extractivism and climate change?

• What is the biggest REDD+ contradiction?

• Tree factories: An overview of the impacts and interests behind GE trees

• The roots of a forest

• The complex debate about alternatives

• RSPO: fake promises promoting further oil palm plantations expansion

• Organization and mobilization against the corporate takeover of the climate summit convened by Ban Ki-moon in New York City

• Mangrove territories: “Culture, tradition and a vital space for coastal peoples”

• July 26: International Day for the Defense of Mangrove Ecosystems

• International Day in Defense of Peasants’ and Farmers’ Seeds

• International campaign to define forests for their true meaning

• How the industrial food system contributes to the climate crisis

• Gendering Peasant Movements, Gendering Food Sovereignty

• Environmental and Social Justice Photography contest

• Declaration of the People’s Summit on Climate Change, Lima, Peru

• December 3: International Day Against Pesticide Use

• Challenges for the struggles of women rooted in their territories: A decolonial perspective

• Carta de Macapá de los pueblos libres de la Panamazonia

• Beware the bioeconomy

• An alternative to “alternatives”

• Alliance for the Food Sovereignty of the Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean

• Accelerating deforestation: Financialization as a driver of infrastructure projects

• 10th Anniversary of the International Day of Struggle against Monoculture Plantations

2013

• Women of the Amazon defend the rainforest from the dangers of oil drilling

• The struggle and resistance of mangrove communities in Latin America

• The criminalization of social protest against mining

• Open letter from Latin American women’s network to governments and social movements

• Genocide and isolation

• Biomass and Bioenergy

• Amazon: Peoples in flight

2012

• Statement of Asia Social Movements on Climate Change at the Asia Social Movements Assembly

• Oil palm plantation workers in Central America: The experience of Rel-UITA

• Industrial logging cannot be sustainable

2010

• MONOCULTURE TREE PLANTATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA – HOW, WHY, FOR WHOM

• Free Trade Agreements with the European Union in Latin America: A path to the loss of sovereignty and territories

2009

• Women raise their voices in three continents

• Meeting of the Latin American network against monoculture tree plantations

2002

• Central America: International forum against dams

2000

• South America: The push for carbon sink plantations

• Central America: To the rescue of the U.S. and Canada

1998

• North American First Nations websites

• Forest-Americas: a discussion list about hemispheric forest protection and free trade issues for forest activists

Books and Briefings

• 

  Breaking the Silence: Harassment, sexual violence and abuse against women in and around industrial oil palm and rubber plantations

  Posted on March 7, 2019

  Download the complete briefing.

  read more
• 

  Impacts of Large Scale Oil Palm Plantations on Women

  Posted on August 20, 2018

  A Collection of Articles Published in the WRM Bulletin on the issue of Resistance, Women and the Impacts of Plantations.

  read more
• 

  Another lie from oil palm companies: they claim to prevent violence against women

  Posted on March 9, 2018

  “12 Replies to 12 Lies about Oil Palm Monoculture Plantations” has been updated. The publication now includes a chapter about how oil palm companies lie when they say they respect women’s rights.

  read more
• 

  Nuevas tendencias en la expansión de los monocultivos industriales de árboles en América Latina

  Posted on September 23, 2014

  Only available in Spanish and Portuguese. Download here the full document in pdf format in Spanish or in Portuguese Documento informativo del Movimiento Mundial por los Bosques Tropicales (WRM) Desde la década de 1960 está en curso el...

  read more
• 

  Plantations, poverty and power: Europe’s role in the expansion of the pulp industry in the South

  Posted on December 18, 2008

  By Chris Lang The area of industrial tree plantations is expanding in the global South. Vast areas of monocultures have been established to feed raw material to the pulp and paper industry. This report investigates the role of European...

  read more
• 

  Oil Palm. From Cosmetics to Biodiesel, Colonization Lives On

  Posted on September 22, 2006

  Selection of articles published in the monthly electronic bulletin of the World Rainforest Movement, addressing the impacts of the oil palm plantations in the forestss. Oil Palm. From Cosmetics to Biodiesel, Colonization Lives...

  read more
• 

  Indigenous Peoples. Their forests, struggles and rights

  Posted on December 18, 2005

  By the World Rainforest Movement This book gathers articles published in the monthly electronic bulletin of the World Rainforest Movement (WRM) regarding indigenous peoples and their struggles in defence of the forest. These peoples are...

  read more
• 

  The direct and underlying causes of forest loss

  Posted on December 17, 2002

  Forests are one of the most valuable eco-systems in the world, containing over 60 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. This biodiversity has multiple social and economic values, apart from its intrinsic value, varying from the...

  read more

Meetings and Events

• 

  RAMSAR, “Classifying Destruction”: shrimp farms and salt mines are not wetlands!

  Posted on June 5, 2015

  Press release. Redmanglar Internacional questions the fact that shrimp farms, fish culture ponds and salt mines are considered by the RAMSAR Convention as artificial wetlands. These industries must be classified in the listings of...

  read more
• 

  July 26: International Day for the Defense of Mangrove Ecosystems

  Posted on August 5, 2014

  Mangrove peoples and communities have a close bond with mangroves, fishing and the seas. Mangroves and the seas are wholly interconnected natural elements, as is the life of marine coastal peoples. That is why this July 26 the slogan for...

  read more
• 

  Declaration of Chiapas in REDDellion: Enough of REDD+ and the Green Economy!

  Posted on September 20, 2012

  From September 25-27, 2012, subnational governments from six countries will arrive in the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México, to promote and advance advance the new shadow program with which they hope, by way of...

  read more
• 

  Declaración del II Foro Mesoamericano Contra las Represas “Por el Agua y la Vida de los Pueblos”

  Posted on July 20, 2003

  Only available in Spanish – La Esperanza Intibuca, Honduras Del 17 al 20 de julio del 2003 Preocupados por la creciente invasión de proyectos de construcción de represas que vienen imponiendo las grandes transnacionales y organismo...

  read more
• 

  Declaración del Foro Mesoamericano por la Vida “Agua, Luz y Tierra para los Pueblos”

  Posted on March 24, 2002

  Only available in Spanish –  Cooperativa Unión Maya Itzá, Petén – Guatemala 21 al 23 de marzo de 2002  Durante los días 21 al 23 de marzo nos hemos reunido hombres y mujeres de 98 organizaciones y comunidades de 21...

  read more

News

• 

  Breaking the silence: Industrial oil palm and rubber plantations bring harassment, sexual violence and abuse against women

  Posted on March 7, 2019

  Press release. March 7, 2019.

  read more
• 

  Press release: Organizations Denounce the RSPO for Greenwashing the Oil Palm Industry’s Destruction and Violence

  Posted on November 11, 2018

  On November 12, with the endorsement of organizations from five continents, Friends of the Earth International and World Rainforest Movement publish an open statement denouncing the failure of the RSPO to eliminate the violence and destruction that oil palm plantations.

  read more

Other Relevant Information

• 

  “New Challenges and Strategies in Defense of Land and Territory”

  Posted on March 11, 2019

  What is happening with the land and natural wealth around the world, and to the people who depend on them? How are people responding to these trends, threats, and challenges? Aiming to address these issues, 12 articles with powerful...

  read more
• 

  Sign the statement! RSPO: 14 years failing to eliminate violence and destruction from the industrial palm oil sector

  Posted on October 31, 2018

  We invite organizations to sign on and support the statement, which denounces that the RSPO, since it was created 14 years ago, has been a tool that served the corporate interests of the oil palm sector

  read more
• 

  A un año del asesinato de Berta Cáceres – Comunicado de la RECOMA

  Posted on March 3, 2017

  Only available in Spanish América Latina, 02 de marzo de 2017  A un año del asesinato de Berta Cáceres A un año del intento de asesinato de nuestro compañero Gustavo Castro La Red Latinoamericana contra los Monocultivos de Árboles...

  read more
• 

  Solidaridad con Acción ecológica – Comunicado de la RECOMA

  Posted on January 18, 2017

  América Latina, 26 de diciembre de 2016 La Red Latinoamericana contra los Monocultivos de Árboles (RECOMA) expresa su apoyo y solidaridad con nuestra organización hermana Acción Ecológica (AE) ante la amenaza de clausura que recibiera...

  read more
• 

  Urgent Action Alert – To the Equadorian Government: Against the double extractivist hunting

  Posted on December 21, 2016

  Letter to be sent to: Dr Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador rafael.correa@presidencia.gob.ec Ministro de Ambiente walter.garcia@ambiente.gob.ec, wgarcia@ambiente.gob.ec, Ministro Interior fuentesd@outlook.com C/C...

  read more
• 

  Declaración de la Red Latinoamericana contra los Monocultivos de Árboles – RECOMA

  Posted on September 20, 2016

  Only available in Spanish or Portuguese 21 de setiembre de 2016 Día Internacional de Lucha contra los Monocultivos de Árboles Descargar como pdf aquí Este 21 de setiembre, las organizaciones integrantes de La Red Latinoamericana Contra...

  read more
• 

  Carta-denuncia en rechazo a la iniciativa “Plataforma de Plantaciones de Nueva Generación”

  Posted on June 6, 2016

  Only available in Spanish 5 de junio – Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente En ocasión del 5 de junio, Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente, la Red Latinoamericana contra los Monocultivos de Árboles (RECOMA), una red de organizaciones...

  read more
• 

  Latin America and EU Trade relationships – Animated video

  Posted on June 9, 2015

  de EU Latin America. This video explains how a trade relationship – mainly based on the extraction of raw materials – is contributing to depletion of non-renewable natural resources, global warming and social...

  read more
• 

  Ideas for the political thought of La Via Campesina in the Amazon

  Posted on March 6, 2015

  The coordinating team of La Via Campesina in the state of Pará, Brazil, has compiled in a book the political struggles waged over time in the Amazon and the initiatives organized. In addition to a systematized introduction with a focus on...

  read more
• 

  “Energy Alternatives, Surveying the Territory”

  Posted on December 21, 2014

  This report from the organization Corner House explores the question “What’s the alternative to current energy systems?” in a context of a growing climate crisis and increasing uncertainty over the future of fossil fuels. In energy...

  read more
• 

  Mapping popular alternative proposals of envisioning infrastructure

  Posted on December 21, 2014

  The NGO network ECA Watch is mapping social movements’ alternative proposals to the large-scale infrastructure projects, including water, energy or transport infrastructure. The aim is to spread information and proposals, and to...

  read more
• 

  Forests as important as farming for some rural communities

  Posted on December 21, 2014

  A global study carried out by the Poverty and Environment Network has helped in understanding the role forests play in enhancing people’s livelihoods, confirming that forests do provide an important source of rural income, but...

  read more
• 

  There you go! – short film from Survival International

  Posted on March 7, 2014

  Around the world ‘development’ is robbing tribal people of their land, self-sufficiency and pride and leaving them with nothing. “There you go” is a short, satirical film, from Survival International, that tells the story of how...

  read more
• 

  Leyes, políticas y economía verde al servicio del despojo de los pueblos

  Posted on January 20, 2014

  Only available in Spanish. The Alianza Biodiversidad, Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) and World Rainforest Movement (WRM) have jointly published a new special edition (in Spanish) of the magazine...

  read more
• 

  Map of Mining Conflicts in Latin America

  Posted on December 30, 2012

  The Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America (OCMAL) and Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OLCA) have developed the “Map of Mining Conflicts in Latin America” to serve as a database and information system...

  read more
• 

  Call to Action from Sarayaku Indigenous Leaders – VIDEO

  Posted on December 14, 2012

  Against oil extraction in the Amazon forest in southern Ecuador:

  read more
• 

  The two faces of tropical forest destruction in Latin America and the Caribbean: Revelations of the “green economy” in Acre, Brazil

  Posted on October 25, 2012

  By Elder Andrade de Paula On the eve of another world conference on the environment – Rio+20 – which places emphasis on the climate crisis, we are witnessing major efforts by the centres of world power to promote a discussion with no...

  read more
• 

  Monoculture Tree Plantations: Winds of Death and Destruction

  Posted on September 21, 2012

  Declaration by the Latin American Network Against Monoculture Tree Plantations September 21, 2012 Industrial tree plantations have reportedly quadrupled in surface area over the last two decades worldwide. This expansion has been...

  read more
• 

  Saca el metal y corre. Los países emergentes, la Unión Europea y las materias primas no energéticas del Sur global

  Posted on June 16, 2011

  Only available in Spanish  – By Guadalupe Rodríguez, Salva la Selva. El acceso y abastecimiento de materias primas no energéticas, especialmente minerales metálicos y no metálicos, no ha recibido -al contrario que la cuestión...

  read more
• 

  The Common Property and the Community Forest Management in the Brazilian Amazon Forest

  Posted on July 3, 2010

  By José Heder Benatti. This paper is a preliminary legal reflection on the role of common property in the Brazilian Amazon. It suggests the integration of two distinct normative scopes of the society, the legal right and consuetudinary...

  read more
• 

  Agrofuels in the Americas

  Posted on November 29, 2009

  Edited by Richard Jonasse, PhD. Institute for Food and Development Policy, 2009 Download as...

  read more
• 

  International Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations 2009 – RECOMA VIDEO

  Posted on September 6, 2009

  Part 1 Part...

  read more
• 

  Se viene la mayor batalla de la historia en defensa de la Amazonía boliviana

  Posted on July 21, 2007

  Only available in Spanish – Por Pablo Cingolani – 21/Julio/2007 No a las mega represas de Lula en el río Madera El monstruo necesita alimentarse. El desarrollismo brasileño no se detiene. La burguesía exige más y más....

  read more
• 

  The ecological and social tragedy of crop-based biofuel production in the Americas

  Posted on March 30, 2007

  Miguel A Altieri, Professor of Agroecology, University of California, Berkeley Elizabeth Bravo, Red por una América Latina Libre de Transgenicos, Quito, Ecuador The nations of the OECD—the Organization for Economic Cooperation and...

  read more
• 

  Amazonía: Selva y Bosques diez años después de Río

  Posted on July 18, 2002

  Only available in Spanish Publicación de Censat-Agua Viva en ocasión de la Cumbre Mundial de Johannesburgo. Amazonía: Selva y Bosques diez años después de Río...

  read more

Videos

• 

  Collection of videos about the impacts of large scale industrial oil palm plantations

  Posted on September 8, 2014

  Continuing with the communications for September 21st, this time we would like to share with all of you a collection of videos that we have prepared together with GRAIN, on the impacts of large scale industrial oil palm plantations. The...

  read more