Page 49 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 21

Food Health

took place between 2007 and 2017, This perverse argument must be de- ecological and cultural relevance
when the province lost more than bunked, and debate should highlight and diversity of the Cerrado
750,000 hectares of native forest. the fact that “plantations are not and its peoples.
This makes Salta one of the prov- forests”, and cannot replace any of • preservation of the memories
inces with the highest deforestation the vital roles forests play in balanc- of violence, expulsion, and
rates, and the most forest lost, in the ing ecosystems, or their contribution enclosure of common areas,
world. In this region, LandMatrix to the climate, as the World Rainfor- events which are often passed
has identified 120 major land trans- est Movement has been repeating down by community elders.
actions (known as GTT, or grandes for more than two decades. • a stop to the impunity enjoyed
transacciones de tierra) concerning by land-grabbers and corpora-
22% of the total surface area of A few conclusions and next steps tions when violating the rights
the region. The conclusions of this of populations, and also in
report are that GTTs are driving de- The first conclusion is clear: we the continuous harassment,
forestation and changes of land use must immediately end land grabbing manipulation, humiliation, and
in 55% of the 7.2 million hectares and land concentration by large division of communities they
which make up the Chaco Salteño. corporate groups to put a stop to use as part of their strategies to
the current climate crisis. It is also manufacture social hegemony.
A downwards spiral of destruc- urgent to halt the deforestation • justice and reparations for the
tion afflicting the whole region, which as conflicts which populations still
we have seen, is carried out illegally face and the right to own their
Land grabbing is clearly contributing in all countries. land.
to the climate crisis and is generating
a spiral of destruction, currently re- Across the region, there is strong The Tribunal has already held its
flected in the severe drought across mobilisation at national and regional first session on the topic of viola-
the Southern Cone and the extreme level to counter the devastation be- tions related to access to water, and
temperatures and fires which get ing wreaked. One example of this is the rest of the hearings will take
worse with every year, decimating the special session of the Permanent place throughout 2022.
fragile ecosystems which are already Peoples’ Tribunal, an international
bearing the brunt of agribusiness. peoples’ tribunal based in Rome, on It is clear that redistributing land to
the ecocide taking place in the Cer- peasant farmers is the main alter-
Ending this spiral of destruction is rado[16]. This was launched in Sep- native to help tackle the climate
vital, and requires much more than tember, in Brazil, by the Campanha crisis, via agroecological farming
laws to limit the damage. In fact, Nacional em Defesa do Cerrado methods implemented by peasant
much of Argentina’s deforestation (National Campaign in Defence farmers, which not only contribute
has occurred over the last decade, of the Cerrado). When presenting to protecting soil health and biodi-
despite a Forest Law approved in their case, the organisations spoke versity, but also provide solutions to
the first decade of this century after out against the legitimisation of other crises facing humanity, such as
years of pressure from social organ- widespread and intensive plundering hunger.
isations. and monopolisation of the Cerra-
do’s land, water, and resources by a It is clear, too, that it is essential to
What about planted forests? handful of corporations from the put the brakes on corporate control,
agricultural and mineral commodity in view of the very powerful lobby
The IPCC states in its reports chains, under the pretext that the of politicians, business leaders, and
that greenhouse gas emissions are region is “nobody’s land”, without transnational corporations which
partially “offset by afforestation/ people nor biodiversity—all in the has emerged with the expansion of
reforestation”. However, rather than name of so-called “development”. monocropping, and which defends
a true alternative, this is a dangerous and pushes this model. However,
message which fuels false solutions The case presented by the Campaign this will remain impossible unless
to the climate crisis, whilst encour- calls for: progress is made on democratisation
aging another type of land grab- • a stop to the current ecocide processes within society to help us
bing—acquisition of land for tree against the Cerrado before it change tack and avert the catastro-
plantations. becomes extinct. phe capitalism is leading us towards.
• the truth to be told about the

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