Struggles Against Tree Monocultures

Corporate profit drives land grabs to install industrial tree monocultures. Where industrial plantations take root, communities' territories and lives are violently invaded, their forests destroyed and their water polluted. When communities resist, companies tend to respond with aggression. Despite this extreme violence, communities around the world are resisting, organizing and joining forces to defend their territories. Every September 21 the International Day of Struggle against Monoculture Tree Plantations is celebrated.

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Country

B271
Bulletin articles 22 August 2024

Argentina: The community fight against contamination from sawmills

The Argentine province of Corrientes has the largest area of tree plantations in the country. 80% of the timber from these plantations goes to sawmills, where mountains of sawdust are regularly burned, causing serious health problems for neighboring communities. The local organization, Guardians of Y'vera, conducted a community health survey to highlight the problem, demand the relocation of these mills, and denounce the impacts of the forestry model.
B271
Other information 22 August 2024

Argentina: Justice demanded for Arauco's eviction of peasant families

On July 5, 2024, three peasant families were violently evicted in Paraje San Lorenzo 2, in the municipality of Wanda, in the Argentine province of Misiones. The provincial police carried out the eviction, in collaboration with the multinational company, Arauco. During the operation, the police destroyed the ten-hectare farm which had been the families' livelihood for a decade.
Acción de recuperación de tierras, septiembre 2023. Foto: PIP.
Action alerts 1 November 2023

Argentina: ¡Exijamos la entrega inmediata de tierras a familias campesinas de Misiones!

Llamamos a organizaciones a firmar esta carta para exigir a las autoridades de la provincia de Misiones, Argentina, la entrega urgente de 434 hectáreas que le corresponden por ley a la cooperativa Productores Independientes de Piray (PIP-UTT). Las tierras están ocupadas por plantaciones forestales de la multinacional Arauco.
Misiones
Bulletin articles 16 June 2022

​Reclaiming land in Misiones, Argentina: A Fight for Social Justice and a Dignified Life

The Independent Producers of Piray (PIP) in Misiones, Argentina was formed in 2005 to stop the advance of multinational Arauco’s pine tree monocultures and reclaim the land. WRM spoke with Miriam Samudio, a key member of the PIP family, to reflect on the process of the struggle and the lessons learned.
concesiones
Bulletin articles 23 March 2022

Forest Concessions, Colonial Concept

What a certain historiography terms civilizational expansion or capital’s expansion has in fact been the invasion and de-territorialization of peoples and communities using much epistemic and territorial violence. Concessions have been granted in areas that are not demographic voids, a colonial concept that ignores the fact that they have been populated for millennia.
Other information 17 November 2020

Stolen Land Reclaimed in Argentina

Multimedia 22 September 2020

(Video) Luchas contra los monocultivos de árboles en Latinoamérica

Conversatorio virtual realizado el 21 de Septiembre de 2020, en conmemoración del Día Internacional de Lucha contra los Monocultivos de Árboles. Organizado por la Red Latinoamericana contra los Monocultivos de Árboles (Recoma).

Action alerts 7 March 2019

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

Press release. March 7, 2019.

breaking the silence - women
Publications 7 March 2019

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

Download the complete briefing.

Bulletin articles 22 December 2018

A Reflection from Africa: Conquer the Fear for Building Stronger Movements

An interview with the activist Nasako Besingi. He organized communities in their protests against US agribusiness Herakles Farm’s palm oil plantations. Due to this engagement, he has been the victim of Herakles Farm and government physical attacks, intimidation and criminalization. (Available in Swahili).

Publications 27 November 2018

Recueil de recettes nutritives, médicinales, artisanales des palmiers à huile traditionnels

Only available in French.

Other information 15 November 2018

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

Friends of the Earth International and the World Rainforest Movement have launched an international sign-on statement denouncing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).