Deforestation and Popular Resistance in Acre: From Local Social Movement to Global Network
Author(s)
Schwartzman, Stephan
Abstract
After the collapse of the Amazon rubber monopoly, the Brazilian government encouraged the sale of land in Acre to agricultural and cattle developers. Results included widespread deforestation, changes in landholding and land use patterns, rural to urban migration, the emergence of autonomous rubber tappers and heated land conflicts. The rubber tappers developed a strong resistance movement that pushed an extractive reserves proposal to guarantee areas of the forest to themselves collectively. Environmentalists, concerned that programs of the multilateral development banks were causing grave environmental and social problems, enlisted the help of Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers to delay the Polonoroeste roadbuilding and agricultural colonization scheme, which was supported by the World Bank.
