It’s no surprise that a gigantic corporation like Cargill would seek to increase profits by further destroying the Amazon and the Cerrado – two key Brazilian biomes already deeply affected by aggressive agribusiness. The Ferrogrão project, which translates literally to “Grain Railway,” is a core piece of their plan to expand commodity production and exportation from the region. If it goes through, at least 2,000 km² of native forest would be immediately destroyed, and another 4.9 million hectares of protected areas would be deeply affected.
What is surprising, though, is that the key person behind this dangerous project serves as the Vice President of the Board of a foundation that should be committed to protecting nature and Indigenous rights.
Guilherme Quintella, the CEO of the company responsible for the Ferrogrão project, EDLP, holds a key position at the prestigious photographer Sebastião Salgado’s foundation, Instituto Terra. Indigenous peoples and local communities recently raised this issue in an open letter, but have received no response from Mr. Quintella or Salgado’s foundation so far. Meanwhile, EDLP’s CEO has been pressuring Indigenous leaders, trying to convince them to agree with the project, even harassing them at demonstrations.
Groups expected Salgado’s foundation to address such deep contradictions, just as they expected the Brazilian government to be transparent and committed to their rights during the debate over Ferrogrão. However, another surprise emerged: key sectors of the government are ignoring a Working Group created by the Brazilian Ministry of Transportation to debate the project with civil society participation. As if this space did not exist, new studies for the project, conducted by Quintella’s company, are being approved with no discussion or transparency.
To make things worse, Brazil’s National Agency for Ground Transportation (ANTT) already stipulated an auction schedule for 2025 including Ferrogrão. Besides contradicting the country’s Supreme Court decision that suspended the project, these recent movies disregard the urgent and mandatory right of Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation of Indigenous peoples and other affected communities. Several traditional communities and at least 16 Indigenous lands would be affected by Ferrogrão and none has been consulted.
In light of these developments, the civil society members of the Ferrogrão Working Group decided to leave that forum. In an open letter, signed together with the Alliance #NoFerrogrão, of which Amazon Watch is a member, they expressed their disagreement and deep concern about how this issue has been handled, highlighting that no effort to block these tracks of destruction will be spared. According to the letter, delivered in person by Goldman Prize winner Alessandra Mundurku and other Indigenous leaders, “infrastructure and logistics projects cannot continue to promote the destruction of the Amazon, the Cerrado, and the future of all of us.”
Amazon Watch is committed to continuing its support for the Alliance #NoFerrogrão, which unites dozens of Indigenous organizations, quilombolas, social movements, NGOs, and local communities to stop this dangerous project. We won’t stop until this project is canceled, and to achieve that, the Alliance is preparing several actions to denounce the project and its accomplices – both in Brazil and around the world.
Please add your voice by joining the Alliance’s petition urging the Brazilian government to cancel the project. You can also visit Instituto Terra’s social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and demand a response regarding their Board V.P.’s role in this horrific project. Only strong grassroots mobilization, linked to strategic international solidarity, can stop the greed of Cargill and big traders from prevailing.
