The Assurance of the Green Seal
Multinational steel companies operating in Brazil, including Arcelor Metal and Aparam, extensively promote their reforestation efforts using the seal of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC, an international certification body headquartered in Germany, is intended to signal compliance with rigorous environmental standards and respect for human rights. In the lucrative world of carbon trading, this FSC label is an exceptionally valuable asset, lending credence and market access to the “green steel” narrative.
The Thesis of Institutional Denial
Despite the explicit mandate to uphold environmental standards and human rights, certification processes and institutional financiers, such as the World Bank, have repeatedly failed to acknowledge or address verifiable abuses and ecological destruction linked to plantation expansion. This gap between regulatory aspiration and dangerous reality suggests a profound systemic failure, where the responsibility for documented conflicts is continually shifted away from the certifying and funding bodies.
Analytical Core: The Failure of Due Diligence
Foundation & Mechanism: The Denied Human Right to Water
The FSC certification process is meant to ensure that operations adhere to fundamental principles, notably the respect for human rights, which includes access to water. However, local testimony directly contradicts the findings of these certifications. Salich, the leader of a community threatened by the plantations, reported that conditions worsened to the point where local wells dried up, forcing residents to give up their livestock and making survival extremely difficult.
Salich attempted to draw attention to a stream that once rushed year-round but is now completely dry, a direct consequence of the surrounding industrial plantations. Documentation confirms that the FSC was informed in writing several times about this specific incident and similar issues across the region. Nevertheless, the official FSC report concluded that these allegations “could not be substantiated”. By certifying operations that demonstrably deny communities access to water, the FSC is violating its own First Principle—the respect for human rights.
The Crucible of Context: The World Bank’s Investment
International financing structures provide crucial support and legitimacy to these massive projects. The World Bank, which set the carbon market process in motion, has triggered an enormous number of conflicts. Despite this, a World Bank official maintained that the project was examined by a range of NGOs and claimed, “there were no conflicts”. This stance directly contradicts the film’s documentation of escalating violence, land grabs, and resource depletion experienced by communities like Pindaiiba.
When confronted with the documented conflicts, the World Bank official deflected responsibility onto the certifiers, stating, “We have to rely on the FSC” and asserting that all seven certification processes they mandate must be implemented as intended. This shifting of responsibility highlights how institutions transfer accountability onto third-party auditors, effectively distancing themselves from the on-the-ground consequences. Subsequent to these discussions, the World Bank announced plans to invest over €250 million in Aparam’s eucalyptus plantations in Minas Gerais, supporting a planned 25% expansion. These are the very plantations actively threatening communities like Salich’s.
Cascade of Effects: Violence and the Lack of Accountability
The consequences of this systemic denial are devastatingly real for traditional communities. Beyond the environmental destruction, documented reports indicate a chilling atmosphere of violence and intimidation. Security companies operating near the plantations have been linked to fatal attacks. One security guard was responsible for a “truly barbaric murder” of a farmer in front of his own daughter, a deliberate act intended to send a violent warning to other communities about collecting firewood. An investigation into the later shooting death of traditional community leader Zakeu Fernandez Balieru also focused on a regional security company.
Despite these documented incidents, the steel company Gard has not commented on allegations regarding its security vehicles and the use of dogs against residents. Similarly, Arcelor Metal has stated it is not aware of any environmental problems or complaints linked to its eucalyptus plantations in Brazil. Aparam rejected claims of greenwashing and human rights violations, asserting that its plantations comply with the highest environmental and social standards. This consistent pattern of denial from operators, certifiers, and financiers reveals a “huge gap between aspiration and reality—maybe even an illusion”.
The Unresolved Crisis of Conscience
The ongoing situation in one of Brazil’s poorest regions remains dire, driven by economic expansion framed as a solution. While the World Bank proposes large, global mechanisms like the Tropical Force Forever Fund, worth several hundred billion dollars, the focus remains on high-level finance rather than immediate protection. For the local families facing displacement and violence, these proposals offer little comfort, leaving them to worry continuously about the future of their children amid the expanding ecological and human crisis.