Areas opened up by the Mennonites could provide new access for mining and logging, the environmental groups said, as has been the case in numerous Latin American countries where farming has expanded. The creation of roads makes it easier for development to snowball.
The stakes are especially high for local and Indigenous communities. Suriname is the only Amazonian country that hasn’t recognized Indigenous land rights, and the arrival of Mennonites could put ancestral territory at risk.
The country is home to around 20,000 Indigenous and 75,000 maroon (or afro-descendant) people. Legislation to recognize land rights has stalled in the National Assembly, which has frustrated local leaders at the same time that rumors and misinformation about Mennonites spread through their communities. The environmental groups expressed concern about violent clashes between groups once the farmers arrive for good.
Indigenous communities have petitioned the government for information and, left to their own devices, have begun doing their own research to prepare. Leaders have even consulted Indigenous groups in southern Mexico about the impact of Mennonite farming to better understand the risks they might face in the future, according to the Association of Indigenous Village Heads in Suriname (VIDS).
“We understand that once the Mennonites are in Suriname, they won’t leave,” Maria Josee Artist, who works on community development for VIDS, told Mongabay. “It will be a case of expecting more Mennonites to come, and that’s what we’re very much afraid of.”
Where are the Mennonites right now?
The Mennonite land deals are still in the early stages. Terra Invest said it’s negotiating with the government and carrying out soil tests to confirm the viability of large-scale crop production.
An associated company, Agriculture Reinland, which is registered under one of the Terra Invest founders, has received preliminary approval for a permit from the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management to develop agriculture and livestock projects on a 400-hectare (988-acre) plot. The document, which was reviewed by Mongabay, is not a land title or work permit but rather a declaration of willingness.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also approved a three-year pilot project for 50 Mennonite families, who will rent or lease the land, according to local reports. The families would occupy around 50,000 hectares (123,552 acres), according to Terra Invest.
Members of environmental NGOs speaking at a press conference last week. Photo courtesy of Sun/Facebook.
Terra Invest has focused its search on the districts of Para and Sipaliwini. Mennonites from Bolivia are currently visiting potential plots until early November. Women have accompanied their husbands on the trip, creating alarm among conservation groups that the Mennonites have already made a permanent move with their families. However, the women are only there to help with cooking and cleaning, Terra Invest said. The Mennonites continue to use tourist visas while they work through the immigration process, and likely won’t settle for good until next year.
The company said Suriname can still be a leader in forest conservation even after sacrificing just 2% of land to agriculture. It said it’s only looking at land that has already been cleared for farming, and plans to follow all local laws and comply with environmental regulations.
It also said it will provide Mennonites with environmental technicians and engineers, while working with the Ministry of Agriculture and other government agencies, to ensure that production is sustainable and reduces its impact on surrounding ecosystems.
“We believe that all actors in Suriname will welcome the Mennonites with love and respect,” Terra Invest said in a statement to Mongabay. “The Mennonites will contribute to agriculture, investment and work hard to contribute to exports and production.”
Banner image: The Amazon Rainforest in Suriname. Photo courtesy of -JvL-/Flickr.
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Plan to bring Mennonite farmers to Suriname sparks deforestation fears
Activism, agribusiness, Agriculture, Climate Change, Conservation, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Rainforest Agriculture, Rainforest Conservation, Tropical Forests
South America, Suriname
Source link : https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/environmental-groups-speak-out-against-arrival-of-mennonite-farmers-to-suriname/
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Publish date : 2023-10-30 03:00:00
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