Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Industrial Forestry Charged as Unconstitutional

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PORTO ALEGRE, Jun 16 2007 (IPS) - The advance of eucalyptus plantations to produce pulp for the companies Stora Enso, Votorantin and Aracruz in southern Brazil is unconstitutional, according to Domingos Sávio da Silveira, federal prosecutor for the fourth region, which encompasses the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. The projects “don't take into account the environmental element established in the federal constitution,” Silveira told Tierramérica, adding that planting exotic trees has a negative impact on local biodiversity, water resources and the local culture.

The state constitution of Rio Grande do Sul, which establishes the state's obligation to protect the Pampa ecosystem is not being respected either, said Silveira, who is also a law professor.

The environmental permits for the plantations should be under federal authority, he said, because “these projects are binational, as they also involve Uruguay, and will increase the depopulation of the border.”