1st reflections one week later

It's been a week since the end of our FairClimate trip in Brazil. But our FairClimate journey is definitely only beginning. There is still a lot to be done to pass on to people back in Europe what we've learned.

Since I was born and grew up in Brazil and was therefore going back to my country of birth (as a Dutch student), this trip was a very special experience for me. I have to say that this was not the first time I did that. Three years ago, I took part as a Dutch student in a sustainable development program in the Amazonian state of Rondonia. Yet, this trip had an extra challenge for me. I didn't go to Brazil to help 'poor people' improve their lives. That wouldn't fit our FairClimate campaign. The concern of our trip was the future of all of us, Dutch or Brazilian. We've been hearing a lot about the dangers of climate change and about the impact of deforestation because of its emissions of greenhouse gases. However we don't realize how big our responsibility is in spite of the thousands of kilometers that separate us in the Netherlands from the rain forests. So I went to Brazil to learn about my responsibility as a Dutch citizen (and consumer) related to deforestation in the Amazon as well as to other socio-environmental problems in that country. I went there to understand what we, Dutch citizens and consumers, can do to change the reality.

There were many things that stroke me during this trip. I learned, for example, that it doesn't help to just blame agriculture producers for cutting down forest to give place to plantations. There is a market that gives them strong incentives to do so and very little incentives to do something more sustainable. And we are part of that market. Of course Brazilian government has its role in it, but we do too, since the Netherlands is the second largest importer of soybean from Brazil (after China). And I guess many of us are not really willing to pay the price of a more sustainable production in Brazil. Soybeans might become too expensive. And besides the fact that every kilogram of meat in the Netherlands needs many kilos of soybeans to be produced, have you checked the packages of what you buy in the supermarket? You'd be surprised about how many of them are made with some product derived from soy.
Well, the relation between trade and deforestation is a complex topic and a fascinating one. That's why I'd rather talk about it more extensively next time. For now, I'd like to tell one of the stories I heard these past weeks that I'll never forget.

After spending a few days with the Kinsedgi (one of the indigenous groups of the Xingu Park), we were hosted by some very nice small farmers, Mr. Menin and his wife. In the evening, Victoria was showing me some pictures she took in the Xingu Park. Mr. Menin and his wife came closer and said to us, pointing to some of the indigenous people in the pictures: 'I know him. I know her. They were here visiting us.' What followed was an amazing story.

Mr. Menin got his small parcel of land without knowing that it one day had been taken from the Kinsedgi. And even more, his land is where the Kinsedgi's chief was born. One day, around thirty Kinsedgis decided to visit their ancient land and confronted Mr. Menin with this reality. He is a just and sweet man. So I can imagine how tense of a day it was for him when they came to see with their own eyes that their forest had been burned down. Yet, Mr. Menin and his family are not exactly the ones to blame. When he decided to sell all he had in the South of the country to come try a new life in Mato Grosso, that new piece of land he acquired had already been deforested much earlier. Nonetheless, thanks to the support of ISA (Instituto Socioambiental) and his hard work, Mr. Menin managed to reforest part of his land and had ambitious plans of reforesting much more and making a living of agroforestry. He is doing pretty well and impressed the Kinsedgis with his sincerity and hospitality. Of course, the indigenous were very sad when they saw that most of the forest they once knew was gone. But they were happy to see Mr. Menin's work. When they left, they offered him their support and said he would always be welcome in the Xingu park to visit them. While indigenous and farmers throughout the country are almost always enemies, these ones became friends.

Mr. Menin's family farm is one of the initiatives that should be supported. He was brave to go against a market that is pushing him to deforest and work with monoculture. But he only managed to do that because he had some support. The forest and the atmosphere need more Mr. Menins and these in turn can definitely use our support. When I heard this story, I understood what I was doing in Brazil.

By Raimer