The Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Brazil led protests on March 13 to pressure the Lula government for agrarian reform, coinciding with the Landless Women’s Day of Struggle. The mobilization focused on the adverse effects of agribusiness practices, including pesticide use and land grabbing. Despite a recent government announcement to expropriate farms for settlement, MST deemed it insufficient, spotlighting the ongoing struggle for land rights and environmental preservation.
On Thursday, March 13, members of Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) organized protests across 24 states, increasing pressure on President Lula’s administration for agrarian reform. This mobilization coincided with the Landless Women’s Day of Struggle, leading up to the MST’s anticipated Red April campaign, which advocates for comprehensive agrarian reform. Demonstrators, particularly landless families, occupied unproductive lands in Bahia and Ceará, highlighting non-compliance with the Brazilian Constitution and raising awareness of the adverse effects of agribusiness practices such as pesticide overuse and land grabbing.
MST’s website emphasized their mission, stating their objective is to confront those who have historically opposed societal progress towards sovereignty, advocating for an eco-friendly and socialist vision. Just days prior, the government announced the expropriation of seven farms to create 138 settlements, yet MST deemed this action insufficient and not reflective of President Lula’s commitments. The movement is pressing for the immediate settlement of at least 65 landless families who have occupied lands for over a decade, noting that fewer than 5,000 families would benefit from the recent government action.
With the slogan “Agribusiness means violence and environmental crimes, women’s struggle stands against the capital,” the protests specifically targeted forestry companies involved in monoculture practices. In Espírito Santo, approximately a thousand women occupied land owned by the Suzano pulp company. A representative from the MST commented on the detrimental expansion of eucalyptus monoculture on local ecosystems, which has been occurring since the 1960s.
Moreover, in Maranhão, female protesters obstructed access to Suzano’s largest factory in Brazil, while accusations of violence against rural workers and contamination from agribusiness practices surfaced. In Rio Grande do Sul, women protested outside the Chilean company CMPC, denouncing threats from monoculture expansion in Brazil’s southernmost territory.
The MST has taken further action by filing a Notice of Fact with Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, detailing environmental degradation linked to forestry practices. The movement maintains pressure, demanding reform while providing solutions for socio-environmental issues associated with agribusiness proliferation.
In specific actions, around 300 families in Bahia occupied lands deemed unproductive in Nova Redenção and Boa Vista do Tupim, while over 220 families in Ceará sought to settle on 2,000 hectares of agribusiness land. Activists condemned the aerial pesticide spraying approved by the Ceará government, which is seen as a threat to public health and the environment.
The MST also demonstrated in Maceió, occupying the superintendence of Brazil’s Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) to urge resolution of issues facing peasant women. In São Paulo, protesters presented their demands during a meeting with Incra’s superintendent, stressing the ongoing need for effective agrarian reform across regions. Simultaneously, in Mato Grosso, rural women rallied at the state Legislative Assembly to voice their concerns about detrimental legislative decisions regarding environmental conservation.
In the Federal District, the MST organized tree planting activities and discussions to highlight the critical role of women in agriculture, stressing the need for recognition of their contributions and promotion of agroecology as a sustainable life approach in rural communities. Leidiane Evangelista, a representative of the movement, emphasized, “It is essential to give visibility to the female contribution in agriculture and to promote agroecology… to enhance family organization in rural life.”
In summary, the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) is intensifying its demands for agrarian reform in Brazil through widespread protests and occupations in various states. The activism draws attention to the negative effects of agribusiness practices on rural communities and the environment, emphasizing the role of women in these struggles. The MST’s actions underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and effective agrarian reform policy that aligns with social and environmental justice, fostering empowerment among landless families and supporting healthy agricultural practices.
Original Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
