In the Baixa Verde settlement in north-eastern Brazil, razor-straight rows of eucalyptus clones contrast sharply with the remaining patches of wild Atlantic forest. The settlement is surrounded by nearly 100,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations, a monoculture often called a 'green desert' by critics. Baixa Verde represents a rare local victory over a multinational in Brazil, but the fight for land rights continues.
After nearly two decades of legal battles, the families of Baixa Verde secured state recognition in 2016 that 1,300 hectares of land planted by Veracel Celulose—a joint venture between Stora Enso and Suzano—were public property. The state of Bahia restored the land to the government, granting each family a plot to grow food. However, the conflict has escalated since 2024, with armed clashes, arson, and death threats.
Ercilio Souza, one of the founders of the settlement, discovered in 2008 that the disputed land belonged to the government. With 91 families, he joined the Fight for Land Movement (MLT) and occupied a eucalyptus plantation. The MLT won recognition that Veracel did not legally own the land. Despite this, Veracel maintains it has always operated with transparency and respect, and denies land grabbing.
Since the agreement, families have faced death threats, gunfire, and burned homes. The MLT says the conflict now involves land donated by Veracel to the Federation of Rural Workers and Family Agriculture (Fetag). Six MLT leaders have been placed under protective watch. Souza, who has received death threats, says he fears for his family's safety, with tents and sugarcane fields set on fire.
