On International Women’s Day (March 8), 5,000 women from the MST (Landless Movement) entered a nursery of Araupel, in Paraná Brasil, and destroyed seedlings of pinus and eucalyptus trees. It was a protest against the expansion of plantations in their region, the green deserts, the impacts on biodiversity, water and food sovereignty. It was also a protest against land grabbing. Last year the court has already cancelled 9 land titles claimed by Araupel, and the women demand that the land is used for agrarian reform purposes.Last year Araupel bought plantations from Klabin.
Early on Tuesday (8), about five thousand landless workers staged an action, on the premises of Araupel company in Iguaçu Falls, Paraná.
From all over the state, women destroyed the seedlings of eucalyptus and pine to denounce the destructive model of agribusiness and its impacts on the environment, such as: the expansion of pine and eucalyptus monoculture, which turns the land into an unproductive “green desert.”
The MST criticizes these ‘green deserts’ of pine and eucalyptus monoculture, which destroy the biodiversity of the territory, deteriorating soil, drying rivers, occupying large tracts of land that could be used to produce variety of healthy foods for family waiting agrarian reform.
Women also denounced the illegal appropriation of land made by Araupel. Late last year the Federal Court annulled the enrollment of nine buildings that are under the control of the company. In this context, the peasant women demand the expropriation of the farm of about 35 hectares for the purpose of agrarian reform. They also demand that about 10,000 families camped in Parana are given permanent settlements in the state.
The mobilization is part of the National Day of Women Fights in the struggle in defense of nature and healthy food, against agribusiness. “