By You’re not alone. Bunge has a rather low profile, and up until now they’ve delighted in that. But, RAN is doing everything to change this. And, tomorrow in New York City we’ll be holding quite a coming out party for them at their annual shareholders meeting. We’re doing our best to bring Bunge out of its shadows, to introduce it to the world, and to familiarize people with Bunge’s role in South American soy expansion, rainforest destruction, and human rights violations (including the use of slave labor).
RAN’s agribusiness campaign will be in New York City tomorrow, Friday May 23 protesting this U.S. agribusiness giant—Bunge Corporation—during its annual general meeting. Bunge is not only responsible for ongoing forest destruction in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, but also for the displacement of Afro-Brazilian (Quilombolos), Indigenous, and campesino communities—all to make way for massive soy plantations.
And it doesn’t stop there. Bunge was recently implicated in buying soy and sugarcane from plantations that use slave labor in Brazil. They’ve said before that they aren’t associated with slave labor, but they’ve been busted again. All of this is happening in the wake of booming agribusiness profits and a global food crisis.
Please join me and other activists to protest the Bunge shareholder meeting, and greet the shareholders on their way inside the meeting. We will be accompanied by Brazilian activist and NGO director, Judson Barros. He has has traveled to New York from the state of Piaui in Brazil in order to speak in front of the shareholders, board and CEO of Bunge. Judson has been in a legal battle against Bunge for their violation of environmental laws and destruction of the highly biodiverse Cerrado ecosystem. In addition, we will be joined by allies who are beginning a three day fast tomorrow to draw attention to the world food crisis–increasing food prices, more hungry people, and record agribusiness profits.
Stand with us as we tell the shareholders, board of directors and CEO that we won’t stand for their dirty business. We want a healthy climate and intact forests, and we demand the right for Indigenous communities and small farmers to remain on their land and not be displaced by soy.
When: Friday May 23, 2008 at 9am
Where: The Sofitel Hotel—45 West 44th Street between 5th Ave and 6th Ave