Story published in February’s edition of Brand Eins magazine, part of a project done together with writer Tobias Asmuth and a grant from the Pulitzer Center International Rainforest Journalism Fund.
An excerpt from Pulitzer’s introduction to our story in their website:
“The Paresí people from the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, want to cultivate soy. However, the government forbids them, referring to the law that prohibits the commercial cultivation of crops in Indigenous territories.
For decades, the Paresí have witnessed the transformation of the verdant Mato Grosso landscape into fields, roads, and cities for the benefit of others. In the 1970s, the military dictatorship decided that profit was more important than the forest. The state promised land to every settler who wanted to try their luck. People came, cleared forests, raised cattle, and planted soybeans. Everyone made money, except for the Indigenous people.
"They gave us the (ancestral) land, felt good about it, but forbade us to use it," says Kevelen Zokezomaiake of the Paresí people. A few years ago, the Paresí obtained a special permit from the state of Mato Grosso to grow soy. They do not know for how long it will be valid. So, they are racing against time to make their land a modern, efficient, and profitable farm. However, they cannot get construction loans from banks because it is not possible to put up state-owned ancestral land as collateral. "Why are we treated worse than our neighbors?” asks Zokezomaiake.”
Many thanks to the Pulitzer Center for the generous and fundamental support, and to Brand Eins Magazin for, as always, the beautiful edit and layout.
