Solidarity with communities in Maranhão, Brazil threatened by tree plantations for biomass and paper
Sign the petiton here: http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2013/maranhao-petition/
In the Brazilian state of Maranhão, the livelihoods and land rights of traditional communities are under threat from the pulp and paper company Suzano Papel e Celulose, which is establishing new eucalyptus plantations, some of them for producing paper, others for producing wood pellets for UK or other European power stations. Suzano's eucalyptus plantation developments have been causing serious land conflicts in Maranhão's Baixo ParnaÃba since 2005. Recently, the situation has become even worse as Suzano has started investing in new, very fast-growing and dense plantations with a view to producing wood pellets for export. The company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2010 to supply a UK company, MGT Power, that has planning permission for a large biomass power station in Teeside and is proposing another one in Tyneside. Many communities are also facing the destruction of their lands and savannah forests by large landowners for soya monocultures.
Communities in Baixo ParnaÃba have been living in harmony with the region's highly biodiverse Cerrado ecosystem and they heavily rely on harvesting fruits from native trees for their livelihoods. Suzano, on the other hand, is bulldozing trees and all other vegetation to clear the way for eucalyptus monocultures. Ironically, they are seeking to market their wood pellets from these plantations as 'renewable energy'.
To find out more about Suzano's plantations and the threats to communities and to biodiversity in that region, please click here.
Communities have asked for international solidarity with their struggle to have their rights to the land recognised. Recognition of their land tenure would protect both their livelihoods and the savannah forests and biodiversity of the region. Please support them by signing our petition here. We will forward your message to the World Rainforest Movement who will send it to the relevant authorities in Brazil. The petition calls for the communities' land rights to be formally recognised and guaranteed.
This petition is for individuals only. If you belong to an organisation that would like to support the demands of the communities in Baixo ParnaÃba, then please email wrm@wrm.org.uy to endorse the original letter found here.
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