South America pulping problem under the spotlight

Media Advisory
Friends of the Earth International
May 10, 2006

Participants in the May 10-11 alternative summit are holding a ‘People’s Tribunal on Human Rights violations’ perpetrated by European corporations in Latin America and the Caribbean. [2]

Four European companies are summoned to the Tribunal for violations in connection with pulping — Norwegian-Brazilian Aracruz Celulose, Finnish Metsä Botnia and Spanish ENCE for the installation of pulp mills in Latin America, along with Austrian Andritz AG for supplying the necessary pulp machinery for the projects.

Pulping has led to deforestation, severe environmental pollution, and increased concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few transnational corporations, resulting in the displacement of rural populations and family farmers.

“The establishment of forest monocultures for the production of cellulose in South American countries has had serious social and environmental impacts in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay,” according to Carlos Santos of Friends of the Earth Uruguay/Redes.

For more information:
Carlos Santos, Friends of the Earth Uruguay/REDES (for information on the pulp mills in Latin America) Tel: +32-498 492563 (Belgian cell only May 10-14,in Vienna) or email
Paul de Clerck, Friends of the Earth International, Tel: +32-47310147 (Belgian cell) or email
Andreas Baur, Friends of the Earth Austria/Global 2000 press officer: tel: +43 (0) 664 103 24 23 (Austrian cell) or email
Daniel Hausknost, Friends of the Earth Austria/Global 2000 (for the Andritz case): tel: +43-69914200019 (Austrian cell) or email

NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] Summit website: http://www.uealc.at
[2] Alternative Summit and Tribunal website: http://www.alternativas.at