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Brazil: Asking explanations from FSC, Imaflora/Smartwood
and Aracruz
On
June 1st, 2006, the Seminar on “The Rights
of Indigenous Peoples and the Advance of Agribusiness: issues
and challenges” took place in the town of Vitória, Espírito Santo,
Brazil. The Seminar gathered the Tupinikim and Guarani communities
and also other communities affected by large-scale monoculture
tree plantations, in addition to various sectors of civil society
in the State of Espirito Santo, for a thorough reflection on the
subject.
They discussed the complete
lack of suitability of the present development model which follows
the expansion in Brazilian rural areas of large-scale monoculture
plantations, such as eucalyptus, pine, soya and sugarcane. The
reform of this model is urgent –they claimed- beginning with the
financing of productive activities on totally different bases,
giving priority to life, to diversity and to the people and communities
affected by large-scale monoculture tree plantations, especially
women who are those who most suffer from these impacts.
At the meeting, the case of
Aracruz Celulose, that tried to get the FSC certificate in 1999
for its eucalyptus plantations in the state of Bahia, was highlighted.
At that time a strong and massive mobilization of organizations,
communities, movements and citizens prevented Aracruz from succeeding
in obtaining the certificate. The company then ‘purchased’ this
certificate when, in 2003, it acquired about 40,000 hectares from
the Riocell company in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, which had
its plantations certified by the FSC in 2001. However, action
by the Tupinikim and Guarani before the International Secretariat
of the FSC led the company to announce that they had ‘demanded
the canceling of the FSC-certificate’ themselves.
Aracruz, though, went unpunished
and local communities question how it was possible that for around
two years the company succeeded in maintaining in the region where
it operates a certificate that demands respect for the rights
of indigenous peoples and their lands, while in another region
where it is active it violates these same rights.
They now demand “a necessary
explanation about what happened on the part of the involved parties:
1. FSC – Why did FSC allow
Aracruz to bear the FSC-certificate since 2003 while it was occupying
indigenous lands? Why was it that FSC did not act after the indigenous
communities self-demarcated their lands in May 2005, and after
they were violently evicted from two villages in January 2006,
when the Guest House of Aracruz was used as Federal Police Headquarters
and as a police station where two Indians were kept prisoners
for several hours? Does FSC believe that such a company deserves
this certificate for even one day?
2. Aracruz Celulose – if the
company is publishing the news that there had never been Indians
on their lands, if it affirms, with such conviction that it legally
bought its lands in Espirito Santo, including those which are
indigenous, why did the company decided to desist from the FSC-certificate?
3. Imaflora/Smartwood – Why
is it that Imaflora/Smartwood did not study the Aracruz Celulose
Company when it bought up the Riocell company? Why did it allow
Aracruz to hold the certificate for about two years while occupying
indigenous lands in Espirito Santo, even though there was much
public information about the issue on the Internet?
We expect public explanations
from the three actors involved in this issue. And we hope that
in future FSC will no longer give permission for the certification
of forest management units of companies which violate human rights
and/or jeopardize local communities, be these indigenous, quilombolas,
fisherfolk or peasant communities. The time has come for FSC to
promote good diversified forest management with benefits for all.
For this purpose FSC has an excellent opportunity at its disposal
with the current international review process on the certification
of tree plantations.”
Excerpted from the open letter
“The harshness of capital against life --but Aracruz Celulose
lost the FSC-certificate!”, issued by the Alert Against The Green
Desert Movement”, on 4th July 2006 (at
http://www.wrm.org.uy/countries/Brazil/Open_Letter_Aracruz.html).
For more information on Brazilian’s FSC Review Process, see “Documento
para o Grupo Internacional de Revisão dos Princípios e Critérios
do FSC para plantações de árvores” (in Portuguese, at
http://www.wrm.org.uy/paises/Brasil/Carta_Revisao_FSC.pdf)
