The Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture strongly condemns the invasion that took place this week on three of Suzano’s properties in the municipalities of Caravelas, Mucuri and Teixeira de Freitas, in Bahia. This move ignores constitutional precepts and jeopardizes jobs and income generation in the region.
Brazil’s enormous land challenges should not be met through illegal actions which affect productive properties or jeopardize economic enterprises that generate jobs and drive local and national economies. In no circumstances the occupation of properties that fulfill this social purpose can be accepted.
It is worth noting that the people primarily affected by an enterprise’s stoppage are those directly involved in its operation. Furthermore, such invasions may serve to fuel the traumatic ideological polarization that afflicts Brazil’s political scene. Society benefits more if we dedicate ourselves toward rebuilding bridges.
This is a soft spot for achieving sustainable economic development, and it is paramount to secure conditions of production and prosperity for small producers, including traditional populations, quilombolas, and indigenous peoples.
The Brazilian Coalition advocates that public authorities must implement robust public policies towards this goal. In “The Brazil of Tomorrow: Proposals for the country’s agro-environmental agenda from now on“, launched in November and addressed to elected governments and congressmen, the movement introduces a series of measures that might contribute to reduce inequality in rural areas, such as the availability of credit for family farming and the integration of programs aimed at small producers, such as technical assistance, Bolsa Verde (Green Grant) and Luz para Todos (Light for All).
The Brazilian Coalition is interested and willing to engage in and contribute to a democratic discussion, which is necessary for the development and implementation of public policies aimed at promoting peace, sustainability, and prosperity in rural areas.
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The Brazilian Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition is a multi-sectoral movement that joins more than 340 companies, civil society organizations, financial sector and academia.