Quote from Alex bobby on May 20, 2025, 2:51 AM

Indigenous Leaders Warn EU-Mercosur Trade Deal Threatens Amazon Lands and Native Rights

Representatives of Brazil’s Indigenous communities are sounding the alarm over the pending trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur nations, warning that the deal will accelerate agricultural exploitation and deforestation in the Amazon, threatening both their way of life and the environment.

Earlier this month, Indigenous leaders Dinamam Tuxá and Alessandra Korap, among others, travelled to Brussels to present their concerns to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and officials from the European Commission. Their message was clear: the EU-Mercosur agreement, if ratified, will benefit large agribusinesses at the expense of Indigenous peoples, their lands, and the Amazon rainforest.

A Deal with Hidden Costs

The EU-Mercosur agreement, negotiated for more than two decades, aims to reduce tariffs and increase trade between the EU and the Mercosur bloc—Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Already the EU’s second-largest trading partner, the Mercosur countries export over €100 billion in goods to Europe annually. The agreement would expand this by allowing duty-free or reduced-tariff exports of agri-food products such as soy, sugarcane, beef, and millet.

While this sounds like a win for trade, Indigenous advocates argue it is a lose-lose for people and the planet.

“The agreement will increase deforestation and socio-environmental conflicts,” said Dinamam Tuxá, coordinator of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB). “It does not guarantee the rights of Indigenous peoples. On the contrary, it creates instability and legal uncertainty for us.”

Tuxá and others argue that the agreement would embolden large corporations and criminal actors who already encroach on Indigenous territories, often using violence and fraud to take over land for agricultural use. These forces, he says, will be further empowered by a trade deal that incentivises mass production—production that increasingly occurs on protected Indigenous lands.

Deforestation, Displacement, and Despair

Brazil’s Indigenous territories, many of which have existed since before Portuguese colonisation, are critical not only for cultural preservation but also for biodiversity and climate stability. Yet, despite constitutional protections, these lands are under threat from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector.

In 2023, Brazil’s parliament passed the controversial Law 14.701, also known as the Temporal Framework Law. This legislation only recognises lands as belonging to Indigenous peoples if they were physically occupied or legally claimed by 1988, when the current constitution was enacted. This ruling effectively denies the rights of Indigenous communities that were displaced prior to that date or have since resettled.

“The Temporal Framework Law paralyses the demarcation of Indigenous territories,” Tuxá said. “It weakens our rights and gives more space to agribusiness.”

Alessandra Korap, spokesperson for the Munduruku people of the Amazon, described the devastation in her region due to industrial farming: “If you visit my region, you won’t feel like you are in the Amazon. You will see warehouses full of tons of soy. The government is favouring its production, which is spreading everywhere in Pará and Mato Grosso.”

A Sustainability Chapter With No Teeth?

Supporters of the EU-Mercosur deal often point to its sustainability chapter, which includes commitments to environmental protection and Indigenous rights. However, critics say these provisions are non-binding and offer no enforcement mechanisms to protect vulnerable communities.

The deal also risks clashing with the EU’s own new deforestation law, set to take effect in 2026, which prohibits the import of goods linked to deforestation. Indigenous leaders argue the Mercosur agreement could make that law harder to enforce, given the likelihood of illegal deforestation increasing to meet export demands.

“The Brazilian government wants to produce more. And this production will be done on our heads, on our bodies, at the expense of our rivers and the forest,” said Korap.

A Call for a Just and Inclusive Future

The leaders who visited Brussels are not alone in their opposition. Environmental groups, human rights organisations, and some European lawmakers have also raised concerns about the EU’s failure to include Indigenous voices in the trade negotiations. Critics say the deal prioritises economic growth over human rights, environmental protection, and climate action.

“Indigenous peoples are not against development,” said Tuxá. “But it must be sustainable and respectful of our rights. We have lived in harmony with the forest for centuries. Now, we are being pushed out so that others can profit.”

As negotiations continue, Indigenous communities are urging European policymakers to reconsider the agreement, revise it to include stronger safeguards for Indigenous rights, and ensure transparency and accountability in its implementation.

Conclusion: Growth vs. Guardianship

The Amazon is often referred to as the lungs of the Earth, and its Indigenous communities are its guardians. Yet, the EU-Mercosur trade deal threatens to turn these lungs into industrial farmland, with Indigenous peoples caught in the crossfire of profit and politics.

For now, Indigenous leaders like Dinamam Tuxá and Alessandra Korap are taking their fight global, calling on the international community to stand with them—not just for the sake of Indigenous rights, but for the future of the planet.