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Jaguars roar into action
Stopping the bulldozers of industrial agriculture
29 August 2005
Greenpeace "jaguars" prowl the forests of Argentina to stop destruction and the expansion of genetically engineered soya.
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Across South America the bulldozers of industrial agriculture, dragging
mammoth chains, are destroying huge swathes of diverse ancient forests.
Indigenous peoples, and rare species like jaguars, are being swept aside
to make space for huge, chemical intensive soya monocultures, often
planted with genetically engineered soya.
Raising demand for soya for animal feed is fuelling the destruction that is encouraged by governments in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, in partnership with huge agricultural corporations like Monsanto.
Left unopposed, this means that many huge forests will disappear in the next few years.
We are taking action to stop this destruction and make a stand for the
indigenous people and rare species of the forest. Last years the
Greenpeace jaguars first appeared on the scene to block the bulldozers
and rally thousands of people to pressure the Argentinian government to
halt the destruction. Because the government failed to act against the
destruction the jaguar team are back this year, now with a helicopter
to spot the bulldozers in the difficult terrain.
"Companies are failing to act responsibly, and the Argentinian Government stands by while rampant deforestation continues," said Emiliano Ezcurra, Greenpeace Argentina forests campaigner. "We're here to place ourselves between bulldozers and trees to stop the destruction of these last remaining ancient forests".
The social consequences are just as devastating; government supported GE Soya landlords forcibly evict small farmers and indigenous communities from their land. All the trees knocked down by bulldozers are discarded onto huge piles, often kilometres long, and set alight. The cleared land can only support the GE soya monoculture for a few years before the soil nutrients disappear. The options then are to use more chemical fertilizers or just leave the land to become a desert and move on to clear more forest. This cycle contributes to climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights violations.
The money earned by these countries from soya exports won't last for long. But the priceless forest ecosystem and the unique indigenous people will be gone forever.
Raising demand for soya for animal feed is fuelling the destruction that is encouraged by governments in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, in partnership with huge agricultural corporations like Monsanto.
An aerial view of burned forest land from the Greenpeace "Jaguar" helicopter. The forest, home to rare jaguars and indeginous peoples is being bulldozed to plant soya.
"Companies are failing to act responsibly, and the Argentinian Government stands by while rampant deforestation continues," said Emiliano Ezcurra, Greenpeace Argentina forests campaigner. "We're here to place ourselves between bulldozers and trees to stop the destruction of these last remaining ancient forests".
Road to ruin
The social consequences are just as devastating; government supported GE Soya landlords forcibly evict small farmers and indigenous communities from their land. All the trees knocked down by bulldozers are discarded onto huge piles, often kilometres long, and set alight. The cleared land can only support the GE soya monoculture for a few years before the soil nutrients disappear. The options then are to use more chemical fertilizers or just leave the land to become a desert and move on to clear more forest. This cycle contributes to climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights violations.
The money earned by these countries from soya exports won't last for long. But the priceless forest ecosystem and the unique indigenous people will be gone forever.
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