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Action Alert: Global Ecological Emergency: Brazil Must Succeed in Keeping Soybeans Out of Amazon
Only soy products that do not directly or indirectly destroy ancient rainforests, or intensify climate change and other problems inherent with large-scale industrial monocultures, will be tolerated in international markets
By
Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet
-
February 12, 2008
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1.) Inform Yourself
NOTE: This is a protest, not a petition, sending emails to many real decision makers on matters vital to the Earth.
Caption:
Bad for Brazil and the Earth: Natural ecosystems cleared by soybean farmers (link)
The greatest emerging threat to Amazon rainforests and communities is industrial soy plantations. Huge mechanized, soy monocultures destroy tropical ecosystems, accelerate climate change and cause human rights abuses primarily to produce agrofuel and livestock feed. The soya industry wipes out biodiversity, destroys soil fertility, pollutes freshwater and displaces communities. Soybean production expands the agricultural frontier not only through fire and deforestation to clear ancient rainforests, but more importantly by pushing cattle ranches and displacing forest peoples further into natural rainforest ecosystems.
Biodiesel made from soya oil is taking over huge areas of Brazil's farmland,
savannah and forest, with harvests surging from 1.5 million tons in 1970 to 57m in 2006. Soy production has already destroyed 21 million hectares of forest in
Brazil, and 80 million hectares, including portions of the Amazon basin, remain
that are suitable. As currently scaled, configured and given expected growth, industrial soy monocultures can never be environmentally sustainable, and indeed may push the Amazon into wide-scale die-back while causing abrupt, run-away warming. Destruction of the Amazon forest is expected to increase the
rate of global warming by 50 percent, while causing countless species to go
extinct.
Agrofuel based biodiesel will never satisfy more than a fraction of global
energy demand yet threatens the Planet’s remaining natural ecosystems. A new
scientific report shows plant based biofuels are no climate change solution
because they directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, result in land
clearing releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Clearing rainforests
generally releases 86 times more carbon than the annual agrofuel benefit, and
Amazon soybeans have a "carbon debt" of 319 years. Agribusiness giants
including Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge and Cargill are amongst those producing and marketing soy while devastating Amazonian ecosystems.
The Brazilian government had trumpeted 50% reductions in Amazonian deforestation
over past years. These decreases are now recognized as resulting from temporary declines in
agricultural markets rather than fundamental change in deforestation rates. With
rising soy and other agricultural commodity prices, there has been a marked
increase in fires and Amazonian deforestation to clear new agricultural lands
from primary rainforests. In reaction Brazil has again announced increased
agricultural deforestation enforcement, including banning the sale of farm products from illegally
deforested areas, and imposing fines for buying or trading illegally produced
soy and beef, with military enforcement.
Amazon rainforest sustainability critically depends upon new soybean production being kept out of ancient primary rainforest ecosystems. Further, soy's environmental sustainability and social justness depends upon respecting rights of local peoples including their food sovereignty, ensuring local land bases and water resources are not exceeded, halting all new industrial soy monocultures in order to properly scale agricultural development, and stopping the use of toxics.
The alert below encourages the Brazilian government to persist in efforts to end soy production dependent upon rainforest destruction. Let the government and agribusiness know that soybean products that cause ancient rainforest destruction and result in damage to biodiversity, climate, and communities will not be tolerated in the international marketplace. Let's continue the commitment of Ecological Internet's Earth Action Network to strongly speak ecological truth to intransigent power.
Sample Email Sent
Keeping rainforests intact far better land use than soya plantations
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva President of Brazil
Dear President Lula,
I am gravely concerned with the threat posed to Amazon
rainforests and communities by industrial soy plantations.
Please excuse my impudence in forcefully yet respectfully
speaking ecological truth to sovereign power, as I believe
the Earth's ability to sustain life is at stake. Huge soy
monocultures primarily for agrofuel and livestock feed are
destroying tropical ecosystems, accelerating climate change
and causing human rights abuses. Soybean production expands
the Amazonian agricultural frontier not only through fire
and deforestation to clear ancient rainforests, but more
importantly by pushing cattle ranches, and displacing
forest peoples, further into natural rainforest ecosystems.
Soy production could destroy much of the Amazon which would
increase the rate of global warming by fifty percent and
foreclose eco-development options for its inhabitants. The
current mechanized, monoculture based soya industry wipes
out biodiversity, destroys soil fertility, pollutes
freshwater and displaces communities. Further, soy
production often disregards local peoples' rights including
food sovereignty, exceeds the capacity of the local land
base, and releases toxics.
Agrofuel based biodiesel will never satisfy more than a
fraction of global energy demand yet threatens the Planet’s
remaining intact natural ecosystems and thus our shared
atmospheric system. The latest science shows plant based
biofuels are no climate change solution because they
directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, result in
land clearing releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide.
Clearing rainforests generally releases 86 times more
carbon than the annual agrofuel benefit, and soybeans from
the Amazon rainforest have a "carbon debt" of 319 years.
Your government had trumpeted a fifty percent decline in
Amazonian deforestation over past years. These decreases
are now recognized as temporary declines in agricultural
markets rather than fundamental change in deforestation
rates. Given higher commodity prices followed closely by
surging deforestation rates, I support your government's
announcement of increased agricultural deforestation
enforcement, including banning the sale of farm products
from illegally deforested areas, and imposing fines for
buying or trading illegally produced soy and beef, with
military enforcement. Yet clearly the full political
commitment, scale, pace and effectiveness of their
implementation is inadequate, and must be intensified.
Amazon rainforest sustainability depends critically upon
all new soybean production being kept out of ancient
primary rainforest ecosystems. Industrial soy monocultures
in rainforests can never be environmentally sustainable,
and indeed may push the Amazon into wide-scale die-back;
the Earth's climate into abrupt, run-away global warming;
and cause great suffering for your people as ecosystems
collapse. Further, soy's environmental sustainability and
social justness depends upon respecting rights of local
peoples including their food sovereignty, ensuring local
land bases and water resources are not exceeded, and ending
the use of toxics.
Please persist and strengthen your government's efforts to
end soy production dependent upon rainforest destruction
and industrial scaled monocultures. All soy industry
participants must understand that soy products that damage
the Amazon rainforest's biodiversity and climate will not
be tolerated in the international marketplace. It is
essential you renew calls upon funders such as the World
Bank and European Union for avoided deforestation payments.
Loss of Amazonian ecosystems will doom us all.
Thank you for accepting the validity of this respectfully
submitted expression of international concern, and for your
willingness to accept Brazil's responsibility to protect
the Amazon as a critical global ecosystem engine which
makes the Earth habitable for us all. Together those
participating in this protest seek to speak ecological
truths, not confront or impede upon your sovereignty. One
such truth is that a healthy, contiguous and fully intact
Amazon is needed for Brazilian and global ecological
sustainability. The world is watching and expecting great
things from you, your government and nation in this regard.
Sincerely,
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