Quotes + Notes | “The Amazon Fires Teach-In” Recap

Sponsored by: NYU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), North American COngress on latin America (NACLA), NYU Urban Democracy Lab, NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and NYU Gallatin Human Rights

Here are my notes from a panel on the fires in Brazil and Bolivia (full video at the NYU website below):

 

SESSION 1: Historical background and drivers of the fires

Historical Background: History of Amazon and fires

Brazil: Barbara Weinstein

• Fires have traditionally been used throughout the forests by indigenous and traditional communities, although they were typically small scale, controlled fires that were generally not destructive to the forest. Deforestation is mostly a product of the past 50 years. The issue now isn’t necessarily fire itself but instead the intensity, extent, earlier timing, and destructive nature.

Bolivia: José Octavio Orsag Molina 

• The fires in Bolivia have a “deeply political and economic association” and correspond to new areas of agribusiness expansion. He also recommended thinking beyond the “borders of nation-states” when considering the fires and their causes.
  • A resource he recommended is globalforestwatch.org

Political economic drivers: what causes the fires in Brazil and Bolivia?

Brazil: Salo Coslovsky

• The fluctuations in deforestation can be tied to domestic and international conditions as well as political ones (for example, there was less deforestation from 2003-2011 due to a different president and minister of the environment). There are three major lessons we can learn when it comes to reducing deforestation:
  • 1. Prevention: Stop deforestation from happening in the first place, implement controls like licensing and credits
  • 2. Punishment: Go after who’s breaking the law
  • 3. Promotion: Increase visibility of sustainable uses and businesses that don’t cause deforestation

Brazil: Maria Luisa Mendonça

• The main player in the destruction of the rainforest is agribusiness. After Bolsonaro, there is a higher level of destruction (ex: current minister of environment used to lobby for mining, minister of agriculture used to lobby for pesticides). A lot of the destruction is done in the name of “development” or “progress,” but thinking in terms of a productive agricultural system, there needs to be protection of soil, water, biodiversity, etc.

The only way to stop destruction is through a strong economic message: an international boycott of agribiz products from Brazil like sugar, soy, timber, and meat.

Bolivia: Pablo Solon

• “You would expect something different in Bolivia than in Brazil, but you would see it’s something similar.” Over 4+ million hectares have burned already. There has been an increase in deforestation since 2012 and on a large scale in protected/indigenous areas. The focus here was on Chiquitania, which is a form of “dry forest” unique to the area. Over time, the amount of deforestation allowed has become legalized. Before, most of the major drivers were agribiz (soy for export), small producers, and livestock; now around 41% of the forest fires are driven by use for livestock and there are even more plans to triple the amount of meat exported and laws favorable to the industry being passed.

“What you’re seeing is the beginning of a much larger tragedy…”

SESSION 2: The 2019 Fires: What has been lost, current status, and what you can do

Cristiane Julião Pankararu

• The products that all of this is for are for the consumption of countries like the United States, further highlighting the importance of a boycott.

GIanpaolo Balocchi, Natalia de Campos, Pablo Solon

• It’s also important to consider how to transform the food system from monocropping for export to prioritizing small farmers / local eating. In Brazil, it’s hard to make pressure on elected officials work in the same way it might in the United States (made more difficult by the media blackout), so pressuring economic powers is important. It was encouraged to call reps about the agreement between the United State and Brazil.
• It’s also necessary to recognize that even when everyone is striking together, indigenous communities are fighting against genocide.
• In addition, it was encouraged to raise awareness about Bolivia so that there is more public pressure placed on those leaders as well. Recognizing the “ecocide” that is occurring when forests are burned is necessary to lead to a greater recognition of the rights and value of nature.
• For a one sentence answer to what can be done: Boycott meat, wood, gold, and soy from Brazil.
• Additional resources include defenddemocracyinbrazil.org and ourvillage.us

“We’ve gotten to a point that international pressure is key.”

Program with additional resources here: