Ethanol Fuels Debt Slavery in Brazil

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-06-06 09:00:00 UTC
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If you think ethanol is always a better fuel choice than gasoline, think again.  A recent report from Catholic Land Pastoral links a rise in debt slavery in Brazil to a rise in the production of ethanol fuel in that country.

From 2007 to 2008, reported cases of debt bondage increased by about six percent.  Over a third of these new cases were linked to sugarcane production, which is the main source of Brazil's ethanol industry.  Brazlian ethanol has been intentionally touted as a greener alternative fuel to be used internationally.  Sadly, this seems to be another case where fair labor is being ignored for the sake of environmental benefits.  Can't we have both?

Father Tiago, a Scottish Catholic monk who has aided the abused workers in Brazil said of the issue

"The promise of biofuel is a lie. Anyone who buys ethanol is pumping blood into his tank. Ethanol is produced by slaves."

Brazil's debt bondage crisis is nothing new; the International Labor Organization estimated between 25,000 and 40,000 people enslaved in Brazil in 2003.  However, unless the government really gets its regulatory act together, if ethanol production continues to grow, slavery in ethanol production will likely grow as well.

Can Brazil produce an environmentally friendly bio-fuel without increasing rampant exploitation of the workers who harvest and process the sugar cane?  I'm all about alternative energy, but if countries are entering these new industries with no regulations or labor protections, Brazil may not be the only country to exploit workers in search of alternative energy.  And that's not acceptable.

Image from trendsupdate.com

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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