MST debates environmental issues during 34th State Meeting in São Paulo

Movement plants trees and reinforces commitment to environmental preservation and popular agrarian reform during state meeting

The environmental issue is directly linked to the agrarian issue. In this historical time, faced with the accelerated pace of plundering of nature that serves to accumulate capital, there are no effective solutions to the ecological crisis other than through people’s agrarian reform.

Therefore, confronting the latifundia and large corporations that profit from the destruction of common goods is a central task in the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggle.

Based on this understanding of the situation, the Landless Workers' Movement (MST) in São Paulo reaffirms its commitment to advancing the debate on environmental issues by placing the topic as a study and planning topic during its 34th State Meeting, which has been taking place since December 14 at the Capauva Training Center in Campina do Monte Alegre.

As another action of the “National Plan to Plant Trees, Produce Healthy Food” which has the challenge of planting 100 million trees in all Brazilian biomes. Yesterday afternoon, the 16th, a collective planting was carried out with the mistica that strengthens the presence of the struggle of the young comrade Oziel Alves and together with the emulation of the Oziel Alves brigade, in the state of São Paulo, the first of many actions that will be developed by the Capauva Training Center began, in partnership with the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Lagoa do Sino campus.

Joice Lopes, from the MST State Directorate in São Paulo, highlights that “While Agribusiness deforests and burns our forests, pollutes our rivers, we at the MST reforest and take care of the rivers and forests. Here, today, the MST reinforces that its commitment is to the conservation of nature, to the production of healthy food, and to agrarian reform of a popular and agroecological nature. Our hundreds of settlements in São Paulo and the thousands of families settled there demonstrate that it is possible to care for nature while advancing the organization of production chains and generating income.”

More than 200 seedlings of native and fruit trees from the Atlantic Forest biome were planted, donated by UFSCar Lagoa do Sino, thus kicking off the creation of the “Oziel Alves” Agrarian Reform forest, in view of the many reforestation and planting activities planned to take place in the coming period at the Capaúva Training Center.

For Vinícius Rainer Boniolo, Environmental Engineer and member of the Center for Studies in Ecology and Sustainable Development at UFSCar, “This donation aims to support initiatives aimed at recovering degraded areas and implementing agroforestry systems at the Training Center, which plays a fundamental role in training and strengthening sustainable agriculture. By planting these seedlings, the MST will continue its work to promote practices that reconcile agricultural production with environmental preservation.”

The seedlings were selected based on local needs, prioritizing species that contribute to increasing biodiversity and restoring ecosystems. This partnership reflects UFSCar Lagoa do Sino’s commitment to sharing knowledge and resources that foster sustainable development and environmental conservation.

“Involving all MST activists in São Paulo in the implementation of the Oziel Alves Forest as part of the collective construction of the Capauva Training Center has a very strong symbolism. It is important that we take great care of our spaces, so that they become references for political, ideological, technical and fellowship training. The partnership with UFSCAR has been essential in this historical context,” says Ricardo Barbosa, MST activist in São Paulo and coordinator of the Capaúva Training Center.