Where All Life Matters

I n December 2005 they came from the deepest forest to the center of Amazonia to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Conselho Nacional dos Seringueiros (CNS), an organization founded by Chico Mendes that even today is still fighting for the rights of the rubber tappers and traditional populations of the rainforest. More than 350 representatives of the Amazon’s reserves met at their annual conference to take stock and unite to face new challenges ahead. 

Much has happened in 20 years. When, in 1985, under military rule, Mendes and his companions founded CNS, nobody thought about sustainable development. When he was assassinated in 1988, the idea of Extractivist Reserves was considered revolutionary and met with fierce resistance. 

Mendes was the first to promote Extractivist Reserves (RESEX)— small communities who live and work collectively according to a well-designed plan to use and extract the forest’s resources sustainably and without harm to the environment. The land remains property of the union, its use is defined by an association of local communities and government agencies. RESEX offers a variety of products, including rubber, coco, nuts, açai fruit, alternative medicine, fish, and handicrafts made of seeds, leftover wood, and other natural material. The profits go directly to the communities. 

Today, about one-third of the Amazon has been declared a protected area, most of it indigenous reserves. Moreover, 19 Extractivist Reserves and 14 marine reserves have gained legal status, their numbers constantly increasing. Atanagildo “Gatão” Matos, one of the early activists, is happy to see more and more communities organize themselves independently to protect their land and work collectively and sustainably. The reserves have become an integral part of the Brazilian government’s Amazon policy. 

Joy was not all that you saw at the CNS anniversary celebration. It was mixed with rage and sorrow. The world saw Chico Mendes and Sister Dorothy brutally murdered because they lived and worked for the preservation of the rainforest. The world didn’t see more than 700 others die because they believed in a sustainable way of living with nature and in their responsibility to the community and future generations. To this day, activists are being threatened, persecuted, and killed. The blacklist of big farmers, soy producers, and their “pistoleiros” contains hundreds of names. Three weeks after the conference another name was crossed off the list. João Batista died in Rondônia with four bullets in his chest (Rondônia is the state with the highest clearcutting rate in Brazil). The police have yet to investigate.  

There is still a long way to go. A whole industry is profiting from exploitation. After the trees are cut and sold, the meat industry takes over the land to raise cattle. When all is grazed and the ranchers move on, soy farmers finally exhaust the soil. It is hard to imagine that once there had been thick forest with millions of insects, birds, wild cats, and other species.  

In numbers it looks like this: in 2004 27,200 square kilometers of forest land were clearcut (about 4.5 million football fields), much of it illegally. This is the second highest deforestation rate in the history of Brazil. Mega projects such as hydro dams and the Transamazonian Highway seldom consider social or environmental aspects that threaten communities, wildlife, and the forest. Those living in the already-created reserves continue to defend themselves against illegal invasions while the state authorities react slowly, if ever. The northern state Pará is still in the hands of big landowners, its justice system corrupt and a life easily lost. Challenges are also encountered within the reserves. Many lack adequate schools and access to health care and communities have difficulties with market access, administration, and budgets. Many have to work in small huts without electricity.