ORGANIZATIONS FROM 8 COUNTRIES DEMAND THE FSC TO WITHDRAW CERTIFICATES

Brazil - Letter for the De-Certification of Suzano-Bahia Sul, Plantar and V&M

We, the undersigned entities and individuals of the Alert Against the Green Desert Network, wish to express our concern about the history and awardees of the FSC certifications in Brazil, thus legitimating large scale tree monocultures, although the systematic violation of social, environmental and economic rights by these large agrochemical plantations has been thoroughly evidenced.

We are aware that the FSC is conducting a review of principle 10 and reassessing its policy for the certification of such corporate monocultures, and it is our hope that the result of this process will be an end to the certification by the FSC of this kind of management of a single species, in a short cycle and in large scale.

In Brazil, the FSC has already certified vast areas of eucalyptus monocultures. There are countless documents, publications, studies, research and theses evidencing the deep impacts of these monocultures over Brazilian indigenous people, quilombola communities (slave descendants), landless rural workers and peasants. The eucalyptus large scale monoculture does not generate employment, requires large areas of territory, evicts families from the rural environment, causes exhaustion, pollutes rivers and streams, and generates few revenues for the government. However, the FSC continues to certify large companies in areas of Cerrado (scrub land) or Atlantic Rainforest, thus legitimating the planting of monocultures in large estates, to the detriment of the defence of the rights of forest peoples.

Companies such as Suzano-Bahia Sul, Plantar V&M, Klabin should have never received the FSC label. Also, companies such as Aracruz, Veracel, Votorantim, all large scale eucalyptus plantation companies, should not be certified with a green label that requires them to be economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial. To certify this kind of large scale monoculture plantation company is absolutely against the mission and meaning itself of the FSC.

At this stage of completion of the not at all participative Brazilian process of review of principle 10, the FSC should forthwith withdraw the label of the companies Suzano-Bahia Sul, Plantar and V&M, beginning a process of deep reassessment of all eucalyptus large scale monocultures already certified in Brazil.

Sincerely,

1. AGB/ES – Associação dos Geógrafos Brasileiros – State of Espírito Santo Section
2. AMAR - Associação de Defesa do Meio Ambiente de Araucária – State of Paraná
3. APROMAC - Associação de Proteção ao Meio Ambiente de Cianorte – State of Paraná
4. APTA – Associação de Projetos em Tecnologias Alternativas
5. Arlete Maria Pinheiro Schubert – Historian – State of Espírito Santo
6. Brasil Sustentável e Democrático – State of Rio de Janeiro
7. Brigada Indígena – State of Espírito Santo
8. CAA/NM - Centro de Agricultura Alternativa do Norte de Minas
9. Carlos Casteglione – Workers’ Party State Member of Parliament – State of Espírito Santo
10. CDDH – Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos - Teixeira de Freitas, State of Bahia
11. CDDH-Serra – Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos Serra, State of Espírito Santo
12. CEPEDES – Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas para o Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul – State of Bahia
13. Christian Aid – England
14. COHRE - Centro pelo Direito à Moradia contra Despejos - Programa das Américas
15. CPT/MG – Comissão Pastoral da Terra
16. Emil Schubert – Emeritus Pastor IECLB
17. Espaço Cultural da Paz – Teixeira de Freitas, State of Bahia
18. Fábio Martins Villas – Indigenist Expert – State of Espírito Santo
19. FASE/BA – Federação de Órgãos para Assistência Social e Educacional
20. FASE/ES – Federação de Órgãos para Assistência Social e Educacional
21. Fórum Estadual de Mulheres – State of Espírito Santo
22. Geertje van der Pas - CMC Holland/CIMI Brasília
23. Movimento Nacional dos Direitos Humanos – Eastern Regional Office
24. MPA/ES – Movimentos dos Pequenos Agricultores
25. MST/ES - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra
26. ODESC - Organização de Desenvolvimento Sustentável e Comunitário – State of Minas Gerais
27. Prof. Dr. Klemens Laschefski – Rainforest Spokesman – Friends of the Earth Germany and Visiting Researcher - IGC/UFMG.
28. Sebastião Ribeiro Filho, Lawyer – State of Espírito Santo
29. Temístocles Marcelos Neto – Coordinator of the Environment National Committee of CUT Nacional