The pulp and paper industry faces problems in the Amazon

The four big pulp and paper projects in the Brazilian Amazon (Companhia Suzano de Papel e Celulose and CELMAR in Maranhao, Jari Celulose in Para, and Champion in Amapa) are facing important problems from the economic, social and environmental points of view. The anarchic character of the pulp and paper industry has resulted in falls in the prices of market pulp. Rural workers denounce illegal work contracts while peasants protest about the expansion of the lands owned by the companies. Champion bought a total of 448.000 hectares in Amapa. Regional governments -as that of Amapa- have denounced that some of the land sales to the companies have been illegal since those were publicly owned. The utilization of agrotoxics in eucalyptus plantations has raised workers' protests. They claim suffering from headache and pains in their eyes and muscles as a consequence of the application of Round-up and DMA and denounce not having received the required health care.

Source: WRM's bulletin Nº 3, August 1997

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