Case Studies

The article titled “Paraguayan authorities complicit in illegal razing of country’s forests by EU-linked agribusiness” published on Earthsight, reveals the complicity of Paraguayan authorities in the illegal deforestation of the country’s forests by EU-linked agribusiness. The article is part of Earthsight’s “Grand Theft Chaco” series, which exposes the links between illegal deforestation for cattle ranching in the Paraguayan Chaco and leather used by car giants in Europe. The investigation focuses on PNCAT, the protected land belonging to the Ayoreo Totobiegosode people, including some of the last uncontacted groups in the world. The entire Chaco ecosystem is under intense attack by ranchers and soy growers, leading to the loss of its native forests and rich biodiversity. Two ranches within PNCAT, Caucasian SA and Cooperativa Chortitzer, illegally cleared over 2,700 and 500 hectares of forests respectively between 2018 and 2019 in contravention of government resolutions. Another farm, Yaguareté Porã, has a long history of illegal land dealings and pasture development within PNCAT dating back nearly 20 years. Earthsight was able to link hides from PNCAT to Italian automotive leather giant Conceria Pasubio and on to BMW and Jaguar Land Rover.

Keywords: Latin America, Paraguay, cattle, soy, primary production, agriculture, illegal deforestation

Source: https://www.earthsight.org.uk/news/analysis/paraguayan-authorities-complicit-in-illegal-razing#:~:text=Bono%20for%20Earthsight-,Paraguayan%20authorities%20complicit%20in%20illegal%20razing,forests%20by%20EU%2Dlinked%20agribusiness&text=Earthsight's%20Grand%20Theft%20Chaco%20series,by%20car%20giants%20in%20Europe.

According to Al Jazeera, large-scale soy plantations in Paraguay have been encroaching on traditional Indigenous land, leading to deforestation, land dispossession and severe environmental contamination. The expansion of soy production threatens the livelihoods of the Ava Guarani Indigenous community, whose traditional lands are now heavily polluted, causing health issues and damaging crops and livestock. The transformation of forests into soy monocultures has devastated the natural environment that once sustained the Ava Guarani. Pesticides like glyphosate, 2,4D, and paraquat, which are banned in several countries, are commonly used in these plantations, leading to toxic contamination of the land. This has created severe health issues for the locals, including respiratory illnesses, diarrhoea, and vomiting, attributed to pesticide exposure. In addition, the expansion of soy production has led to a high rate of deforestation in the area and to numerous land evictions. In response, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHCR) ruled that Paraguay violated the rights of the Ava Guarani by not controlling pesticide use and failing to prevent contamination. Despite this ruling, the community continues to face challenges, with agribusiness and government corruption obstructing change. 

Keywords: Latin America, Paraguay, soy, primary production, deforestation, Indigenous rights, human rights violations

Sources:  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/30/how-paraguay-indigenous-communities-are-fighting-big-soy 

The article titled “Paraguayan authorities complicit in illegal razing of country’s forests by EU-linked agribusiness” published on Earthsight, reveals the complicity of Paraguayan authorities in the illegal deforestation of the country’s forests by EU-linked agribusiness. The article is part of Earthsight’s “Grand Theft Chaco” series, which exposes the links between illegal deforestation for cattle ranching in the Paraguayan Chaco and leather used by car giants in Europe. The investigation focuses on PNCAT, the protected land belonging to the Ayoreo Totobiegosode people, including some of the last uncontacted groups in the world. The entire Chaco ecosystem is under intense attack by ranchers and soy growers, leading to the loss of its native forests and rich biodiversity. Two ranches within PNCAT, Caucasian SA and Cooperativa Chortitzer, illegally cleared over 2,700 and 500 hectares of forests respectively between 2018 and 2019 in contravention of government resolutions. Another farm, Yaguareté Porã, has a long history of illegal land dealings and pasture development within PNCAT dating back nearly 20 years. Earthsight was able to link hides from PNCAT to Italian automotive leather giant Conceria Pasubio and on to BMW and Jaguar Land Rover.

Keywords: Latin America, Paraguay, cattle, primary production, illegal deforestation, agriculture, Indigenous rights

Source: https://www.earthsight.org.uk/news/analysis/paraguayan-authorities-complicit-in-illegal-razing#:~:text=Bono%20for%20Earthsight-,Paraguayan%20authorities%20complicit%20in%20illegal%20razing,forests%20by%20EU%2Dlinked%20agribusiness&text=Earthsight's%20Grand%20Theft%20Chaco%20series,by%20car%20giants%20in%20Europe.