Cargill: cutting down the Amazon to feed chickens.
A team of climbers from our ship, the Arctic Sunrise, shut
downCargill's illegal soy facility in the heart of the Amazon
rainforest.Our activists unfurled a banner on the conveyor belts at
Cargill'sfacility, but angry Cargill employees nearby blasted the
sign down withhigh-powered hoses. Police arrived on the scene and
arrested 16 of ouractivists.
The Arctic Sunrise itself blockaded the Cargill port, preventing
exports of soy from leaving the facility.
In the nearby city of Santarém, a group of Cargill's
supporterssurrounded the police station holding our activists, but
were dispersedby military police.
Police securedthe Arctic Sunrise as well, but an angry mob
boarded our shipdespite the police presence, and painted graffiti
along the sides.Fireworks were also aimed at our ship and
activists, even hitting anactivist in the chest, but fortunately
leaving him unharmed. Meanwhile,police used pepper spray toforce
the crew to open the radio room, and took them into custody.
Therest of our activists were put in lockdown within the ship.
Cargill tug boats pushed our ship out ofthe dock, dragging it and
our anchor out into theTapajos river.
The illegal soy Cargill is producing has been linked to a
massive fast food chain, including
KFC's European restaurants. These fast food chains are
literally eating up the Amazon, and we've detailed exactly how in a
recent report.
Our volunteers want to prevent soy fromthe world's most
precious rainforest being exported to Europe to feedchickens, pigs
and cows -- and
you can help support them by writing to KFC.
Cargill, based in the United States, is the largest soy producer
andexporter in the Amazon, operating 13 silos in the heart of the
Amazonrainforest.
Soy is now a leading cause of rainforest destruction in the
BrazilianAmazon. In total, an estimated 12,000 square miles of what
was oncerainforest has already been destroyed, mostly illegally,
to growsoybeans. Cargill makes no secret of helping establish soy
farms in theAmazon, some of which are complicit in other illegal
activities such asland grabbing and slavery.
Corporations like Cargill must stop seeing the Amazon as a place
toexpand their soy businesses, and recognise it as the world's
greatestrainforest in need of urgent protection, not exploitation.
We're calling onCargill, and their fast-food industry customers, to
ensure that thesoy and animal feed they buy does not contribute to
thedestruction of the Amazon.
Take action
Tell KFC you don't want the Amazon cut down to feed chickens.
Support us
Help keep us in action: Donate today.