At the UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil, communities of slave descendants known as quilombos are pushing for government recognition of their territories, which they see as essential for protecting both their rights and the Amazon rainforest. The conference, which began earlier this month and is scheduled to end on Friday, has seen quilombo residents and Indigenous peoples call for more land titles.
In the quilombo of Itacoa-Miri, about 40 minutes by boat from Belem, residents harvest acai berries using traditional techniques that do not harm the trees. Erica Monteiro, a coordinator at the quilombo association Malungu, said: 'We understand that keeping the forest alive also keeps us alive.' Her community received a land title more than 20 years ago, and has since benefited from funding for health, education, and infrastructure.
However, many quilombos still lack official recognition. According to a recent study by the National Coordination of Rural Black Communities, there are nearly 2,500 quilombos in the Brazilian Amazon, but only 632 have been officially mapped by federal institutes. Monteiro noted that without proof of ownership, agribusiness can forge false documentation to claim the land.
In the quilombo of Menino Jesus, residents received a land title in November last year, but only for 640 hectares of the 2,160 hectares they claim. Local resident Fabio Nogueira said a company called Revita is trying to set up a landfill nearby, threatening to contaminate the aquifers they depend on. 'Our fear is that both the springs and the water in our wells will be polluted,' he said. The community has filed a lawsuit but has not yet succeeded.
Monteiro, who has faced threats and intimidation for her activism, helps other quilombos navigate the lengthy and costly process of obtaining land titles. She said: 'Our life is this struggle to ensure that the forest stays alive. Sometimes the price we pay is very high.'
