Rachael Garrett, Boston University and Joice Ferreira, Federal University of Pará Picture the Brazilian Amazon. You probably don’t see a lot of cows in that image. But, in fact, in this rainforested part of South America – home to the world’s most booming tropical agricultural region – ranching has been the most common land use […]
The Brazilian government backed off a controversial proposal to authorize private companies to mine a sprawling Amazon reserve Monday after blistering domestic and international criticism. President Michel Temer’s office will issue a new decree Tuesday that “restores the conditions of the area, according to the document that instituted the reserve in 1984,” the Ministry of […]
By Ana Aranha and João Diaz – Repórter Brasil Leading expert on modern-day slavery Kevin Bales talks about the lack of tools available to stop the flow of money from consumers to networks facilitating human rights abuse and environmental destruction. Kevin Bales is co-founder of the advocacy group Free the Slaves and professor of Contemporary Slavery […]
By André Campos – Repórter Brasil An investigation has revealed U.S.-based companies bought timber from Brazilian traders that sourced forest products from several sawmills in the Amazon where loggers worked under slave labor conditions. HIGHLIGHTS: Slave labor-analogous conditions were revealed by investigation of logging camps in Pará, Brazil. A supply chain investigation of the timber harvested […]
The Amazon’s rivers once were sufficient for commerce; now international commodities traders want to build roads, railways and industrial waterways thru the Amazon’s heart. By Sue Branford and Maurício Torres Top photo by Mauricio Torres: The Bunge commodities terminal in Miritituba on the Tapajós River. Tapajós basin fishermen have complained that the Miritituba port has polluted […]
