Trekking through Northwest Paraná: Environmental Degradation and Spontaneous Reforestation...

“What you are seeing is an environmental tragedy,” John Flavio remarked as we drove our way out of Paranacity, toward Jardim Olinda.  As we wove through the hilly terrain, there were endless fields of sugarcane, populated by enormous tractors and machines.  Sights of workers were rare. The sugarcane trucks transporting wealth from the already exhausting soil whipped up massive clouds of rust colored sand. 

The erosion problem is a direct consequence from monocultural production, as well as the methods of harvest.  Although the producers in this region increasingly employ mechanical methods (further cutting their labor requirements), they continue to burn the cane before harvest (I don’t know why, considering the practice is usually done to make it easier for human hands to cut the cane).  Burning the fields destroys life in the earth.  It kills animals who take refuge there.  The desert landscapes of my youth seem terribly close here, dangerously and anthropomorphically possible to produce. 

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Jardim Olinda (the smallest town in Paraná state), is nicknamed “Capital ode Simpatia.” It is surrounded on all sides by massive estates, the largest in NW Paraná, 7,000 hc of mainly eucalyptus.  In the past, the roads leading to Jardim Olinda were full of the MST’s black tarps tents.  Unfortunately, these encampments were violently evicted.  My friends remember these occupations, and the evictions—one went to prison in the aftermath, and was accused of being armed; one family is now in COPAVI. 

There is a settlement in the region, Mãe de Deus.  It is a 12 kilometer strip from the highway to the Paraná River.  The settlers produce mainly dairy and mandioca.  We walked their property lines, up to the artificial and decidedly eerie eucalyptus plantation, since there is currently a proposed project, via Terra Forte, to promote an agroindustry here.  The project aims to retain people in the countryside—and help them to achieve economies of scale through cooperative production.  This is important considering that here, as in many of the settlements in Paraná, some families have left, given up on their dreams of land and family farmer lifestyles.

Near the end of the property, the lot borders the river.  It is technically private property here, but we walked anyways, in the name of an important discovery—spontaneous and deliberate reforestation along the river, up into the lot a son of settlers who lives here with his family.  Serge has made the agroecological transition with his dairy operation, and is looking to incorporate a reforestry project.  Here, native Brazilian saplings will be introduced, to provide much needed shade, birds, and life—necessary elements in any agroeco project (these companion species prevent swarms of unhelpful pests and parasites). 

My friends are encouraged, absolutely enthused about the spontaneous colonization of the area by native trees.