Paraguay native tribes crowded out by ranching, soy planting boom-U.N.
Paraguay native tribes crowded out by ranching, soy planting boom-U.N.
Source: Reuters - Fri, 28 Nov 2014 20:38 GMT
ASUNCION, Nov 28 (Reuters) - More than 40 percent of Paraguay's indigenous communities are landless and many of those who have with homes are being displaced by a rapid expansion in soybean farming and cattle-ranching, a United Nations official said on Friday.
The South American country's economy has expanded quickly, but at the cost of destroying forests and polluting rivers that are essential to the culture of native tribes, which make up about 2 percent of Paraguay's 6.3 million population.
"Almost half of the indigenous communities lack land, even when their land has been titled in their name," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. "Land security is not guaranteed."
She spoke to reporters in the capital city of Asuncion at the end of a week-long investigation.
Paraguay now exports more beef than neighboring commodities and it is the world's No. 4 soybean exporter, with a 2014-15 crop expected at about 10 million tonnes.
More:
http://www.trust.org/item/20141128203746-er14c/