Brazil:
The CERFLOR certification programme does
not deserve the slightest credibility
The Brazilian CERFLOR certification
programme, endorsed by the international PEFC (Programme for the
Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes), was officially launched
in 2002 by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade and
started to operate in March 2003.
CERFLOR is based on five principles
– accompanied by criteria and indicators – that vary according
to local conditions. Much emphasis is placed on management plans,
monitoring exercises and development plans for the local communities,
but no minimum and clear social and environmental requirements
exist with regards to performance. The social requisites
do not go beyond those demanded by law. There are no requirement
regarding self determination of the Indigenous Peoples and no
representatives of NGOs or indigenous or local groups participate
in the preparation of CERFLOR standards.
Beyond the principles, criteria and
indicators, what is important is to see how it performs in concrete
cases. In this respect, the case of the certification of Aracruz
Celulose is amply revealing. In fact, CERFLOR has certified “forest
management” of all Aracruz’ plantations in the States of Minas
Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia and Espirito Santo.
It is interesting to point out that
in the case of the plantations of this company in Rio Grande do
Sul, conflict over lands with the indigenous communities of the
distant State of Espirito Santo generated so much discredit that
the company itself decided to request voluntary withdrawal of
the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification from its plantations
in the State of Rio Grande do Sul before revalidation in December
this year (see WRM Bulletin No. 107). These same plantations have
now been granted CERFLOR certification.
The case of Aracruz plantations in Espirito
Santo is even more serious. In this state the company owns 146,000
hectares of land, 93 thousand of which are covered with monoculture
eucalyptus plantations. Certification of these plantations
by CERFLOR would seem provocative to all those who have a close
knowledge of the situation and position of the companies’ managers
towards the local communities and their environment over the past
35 years.
The Alert against the Green Desert Network,
quotes some of the examples of conflicts, some going further back
in time, some more recent:
“Aracruz Celulose continues to
occupy approximately 10.500 hectares of Tupinikim and Guarani
indigenous lands in the Municipality of Aracruz. They are lands
that were recognized as indigenous by the Federal Government,
although they were excluded from the last demarcation made in
1998. At that time, the Federal Government, under pressure
from Aracruz Celulose, committed illegal action on reducing the
amount of land allocated for demarcation. The question is then
how can a company be certified that occupies and exploits indigenous
land?
Aracruz Celulose invaded the lands of
the Quilombolas (the descendents of runaway African slaves) in
the north of the State of Espirito Santo, evicting thousands of
people and planting eucalyptus trees. Over the past few years,
34 Quilombola communities have launched a process of re-articulation
and reorganization to guarantee recognition, devolution and demarcation
of their lands, with the support of the Palmares Foundation, INCRA
(the National Institute for Settlements and Agrarian Reform) and
organized civil society.
Even so, CERFLOR certified a company
that occupies and exploits Quilombola community lands. The inhabitants
of Vila do Riacho who used to make charcoal from waste eucalyptus
from Aracruz, had their ovens destroyed in an action linking the
City government of Aracruz, the local police and Aracruz company
‘armed militia’ Visel. Eucalyptus waste, - remains of branches
and trunks – were the only source of survival for the communities
deprived of their traditional way of life. Presently the
company is considered environmentally sound because it has a machine
that grinds all this waste to become organic matter to be returned
to the earth. All that remains is for Aracruz to win an environmental
prize for this... Now, how can a company be certified that deprives
landless families, Quilombolas and Indians of their only source
of survival, making them go hungry?
In October 2004, Aracruz destroyed four
houses belonging to inhabitants of the Barra do Riacho area, near
its industrial complex. Following the destruction of the houses,
it became evident in court that the families had been living there
for over 10 years. Aracruz brutally destroyed their houses, and
pulled up their banana, manioc and pineapple plantations. Is this
a company that deserves to receive a forest management certification
while it continues with its acts of violence against the local
inhabitants, just as it has done against the Indians, Quilombolas
and small farmers throughout the last 35 years, even with the
support of the military dictatorship? ”
The organizations, movements, communities
and civil society citizens consider that CERFLOR does not deserve
the least credibility. Civil society was explicitly excluded from
the discussion on the objectives, principles and criteria in this
certification system. As denounced by the Alert against
the Green Desert Network: “To date we do not know what the principles
and criteria the BVQI certifying company will use in this certification
process and if we want to know them then we must purchase the
documentation concerning the certification procedure established
by CERFLOR, which characterizes it as lacking transparency.
Furthermore, there are no minimum social or environmental requirements
related with the CERFLOR certification. The reference is basically
Brazilian legislation.” .
But, as pointed out by the Alert against
the Green Desert Network “a large-scale monoculture plantation
can never by certified as it is unsustainable. Eucalyptus plantations
are only “sustainable” for Aracruz, which increases its productivity
at the cost of high consumption and contamination of water resources,
the death of fish and other animals and so many other environmental
impacts involving Indigenous, Quilombola and small farming communities
that have always inhabited the region which has now become known
as the Green Desert. Their way of life has been changed
to benefit Aracruz, with the destruction of the Mata Atlantica
forest, thus eliminating these communities’ source of true sustainability.
The local communities are tired of the
negative impacts caused by monoculture eucalyptus plantations.
They want alternatives based on the production of food from the
land through a wide-sweeping Agrarian Reform, they want reforestation
with species improving the local environment and offering multiple
use options, the Indians and Quilombolas want their lands back
and, above all, they all want their fundamental rights to be respected.
.
The Alert against the Green Desert Network
denounces CERFLOR and its technical team,
in charge of preparing a report for the certification of Aracruz
Celulose in the State of Espírito Santo. With no prior communication,
this team accompanied by two Aracruz Celulose officials appeared
in the Guarani village of Boa Esperança on 30/11/04, interrupting
a meeting of the Commission of Tupinikim Guarani Chiefs and leaders.
Ângelo Rafael, a university professor
and formerly having done in service training with Aracruz Celulose
and Mannesman –another plantation company- and who has studied
in the United States of America, spoke on behalf of the CERFLOR
team, explaining that Aracruz Celulose still had the old-fashioned
ways of the military dictatorship, when the State held most of
the company’s shares. However with certification the possible
negative impacts caused so far, could be reverted. Aracruz took
on the responsibility that possibly it may not be fulfilling its
commitments. Additionally, according to the professor, the eucalyptus
plantations would be beneficial for the population of Espirito
Santo, because they are used in building furniture, making books,
copy-books and other products consumed by the local population.
Eucalyptus would then be comparable to the manioc, maize and bean
plantations...
Questioned on these statements and confronted
with data refuting them, Professor Angelo Rafael left the Guarani
hut in a hurry to go to his car. The other member of the team,
who said she was an anthropologist, stayed on a while longer,
attempting to argue in favour of the company.”
Paulo, a Tupinikim leader, questioned
the specialists asking them “what do you people call forests?”
For us, plantations are not forests. Our concept of a forest is
different from the concept of the scientists. For us a forest
is not planted to be cut down later. The forest is the place where
we go to look for material for our crafts, to hunt, to look for
fruit and to fish in the rivers. Our condition for the company
to receive certification is that as a start it gives back the
eleven thousand hectares of our land in its power.” And
speaking on behalf of the Indians, the oldest chief closed the
conversation, stating “You are doing your job, but if you only
knew the misfortunes that the company has caused here, you would
not do this job, no. I could not do it, what the company did here
was a crime. That is what the company is, a delinquent. We tell
you that we, the Indians we do not agree that they be given this
certification.”
In spite of all this, CERFLOR has certified
all Aracruz plantations. It is therefore evident that CERFLOR’s
certification programme does not deserve the slightest credibility.
Article based on: “Carta pública da
Rede Alerta contra o Deserto Verde sobre a certificação CERFLOR
da Aracruz Celulose no Espírito Santo” and “Aracruz Celulose:
CER-FLOR que não se cheira”, communiqués by the Alert against
the Green Desert Network 2005; “Footprints in the forest. Current
practice and future challenges in forest certification”, 2004,
FERN
http://www.fern.org/media/documents/document_1890_1900.pdf
All Aracruz forests now fully certified
by Cerflor
http://www.aracruz.com.br/web/en/imprensa/noticias/noticias177.htm
Aracruz requests voluntary temporary
withdrawal of FSC certification of its Guaíba Unit
http://www.aracruz.com.br/web/en/imprensa/noticias/noticias178.htm
