Agricultural Conferences Debate Models of Development

The Second International Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Conference, organized by the United Nation's FAO was held in Porto Alegre from March 7-10. At the same time, social movements organized a parallel conference called Land, Territory and Dignity Forum. The conferences debated two very different models of agrarian reform and agricultural production. On one side were the policies the World Bank hopes to implement in various points around the world which through credit programs transforms land into merchandise. On the other side is the vision of social movements which defends policies of development that insure food security, that address concentration of land, and put land at the service of people.

A Weak FAO Conference

One thing notable about the FAO conference was the absence of member countries--only 81 of 188 were represented, and not one head of state. Not even President Lula appeared. According to Via Campesina International, the conference was hastily put together, without giving time for representatives to meet in their own countries about the issues. "This conference, because of the lack of participation from government officials and the enormous difficulties we had to organize a serious participation of civil society, cannot be a moment to finalize international commitments about a subject so important. We demand that this conference be only a first step in the process," said Heny Saragih, international coordinator of Via Campesina.

The conference was also marked by several protests from various social movements--the MST (Movement of rural workers Without Land), Contag (Confederation of Agricultural Workers), Fetraf (Federation of Workers of Family Farms) and Via Campesina. "We are showing the world that agrarian reform is not happening in Brazil, that the official numbers from the government are not real, and that there is no way to change the land structures in a reconciliatory way with agribusiness," said MST state coordinator, Adelar Pretto. Carmem Helena Ferreira of Contag stated, "We are worried about where the official conference is going. We don't know what is going to come out of it, especially given the weight that agribusiness carries in regard to capital."

The Land Bank, or the Bank's Land?

Many who received credit from the World Bank's program, "Banco da Terra" (Land Bank), have asked who is really benefiting from the program. For example, in 2002, 33 families were settled through the Banco da Terra in Rio Grande do Sul. Three years later, these same families have already returned to urban life looking for various ways to sustain themselves in the informal sector. Leonardo Decrescenzo, one of those settled, commented that all of the families are in debt, confronting problems with water shortages and lack of schools for their kids. "We just don't have what is necessary. If we ask to borrow farm machinery from the city during low season, they tell us no. They make it difficult for us at every turn. This indicates a weakness of the Banco da Terra program," said the farmer.

Decrescenzo gave his testimony during at a ceremony which released the results of a new study done by Popular Research Land Network, which investigated World Bank agrarian reform programs in Brazil. Below are some results of the study

• 35% of the families did not choose the land they bought
• 41% did not participate in the negotiations for the land
• 48% declared that the lands they bought were not fertile
• 36% did not know in how many payments the loan was divided
• 54% did not have access to the contracts
• 81% did not know what interest rates would be charged
• 36% did not receive any financial help to begin production
• 74% did not have water for production
• 86% did not have regular technical assistance, 48% did not have any
• 76% do not have health posts
• 72% do not have ambulance services
• 48% do not have access to schools or nurseries
• 47% say that they do not earn enough to sustain themselves, 19% say they do not even have enough to eat

According to Maria Luisa Mendonca, director of Social Network of Justice and Human Rights, such facts show that land credit programs based on the policies of the World Bank are not viable. "The Land Bank is not viable because it is against constitutional agrarian reform...The program does not ensure the conditions necessary for producing on the land, while it favors large landholdings. It should be stopped."

Source Brasil de Fato, March 9-15

Second Dorothy Stang Murder Trial to be moved to Belem

Amair Feijoli Cunha (Tato), one of the defendants accused of participating in the murder of Missionary Dorothy Stang, will be tried in Belem. The decision to move the trial to the state capital was made by the members of the Criminal Chambers of the Justice Court of the State in the court session on Monday (March 3). They concurred with Judge Raimunda do Carmo Gomes Noronha, reporting judge for the change of venue from Pacaja to Belem for the trial of the land trader involved in the death of the missionary.

The change of venue was requested by the prosecutor Lauro Freitas Junior with the support of the prosecutor Savio Brabo, who is the coordinator of the Group for the Repression of Criminal Organizations (Geproc). When submitting the appeal to the members of the Criminal Chamber, the judge emphasized the arguments for the Public Ministry regarding the possible problems with impartiality of the jury due to the threats they could receive from relatives of the defendants. She cited the absence of structure in the town (Pacaja), the constant interruptions from the electricity in the city, the economic power of the defendants, the possible danger of individuals who could threaten the witnesses and those connected to the missionary.

According to the prosecution, five people participated in the murder, which occurred on February 12 of last year in Anapu, jurisdiction of Pacaja. Accused of committing the murder, Raifran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista were the first to sit in the defendant's chair. Raifran received 27 years in prison. He asked for a new trial, as the Brazilian Penal Legislation allows. Clodoaldo, who was sentenced to 17 years, is appealing to have a reduced sentence under the allegation of minimal participation in the crime, saying that he only stayed at Raifran's side when he shot the gun.

The legal documents say that both of them sought shelter on the property of Vitalmiro Bastos Moura, where they received food and financial help. The ranchers, Vitalmiro Bastos Moura (Bida) and Regivaldo Pereira Galvao (Taradao), are accused by the representative of the Public Ministry of ordering and promising payment to those who committed the homicide.

Judge Claudio Montalvao das Neves, Minister of the Second Penal Branch of the capital, predicts that the popular trial of Tato will occur in the second half of April. He explained that as soon as sentence is published (with the decision of the appeals court judges) the process will be sent to the Secretariat of the Second Branch.