My personal experience in Brazil

One of my jobs when we lived in Brazil (1976 – 1982) was at a medium-sized Engineering office. We were with about eight men in the drawing room; often, during coffee and lunch breaks, the main topic of conversation was how to make more money. We devised the following plan: One of us travels to the rainforest with four marker sticks and some provisions. He plants the first stick and walks, for instance, two and a half hours East and hammers another marker in the ground. He repeats the same action to the North and then the West before returning to the start in the South to complete the square. The land of approximately ten square km is ours. The rest of us have to support him and his family while he manages our property, cutting the trees and cultivating the land. We could, of course, repeat this a couple of times. If the local Indians make trouble, we call the police; if this happens several times, the police will establish an office there, and we have a village with a name. Simple, yes? NO!
During this period, I met a Dutch engineer who graduated from Wageningen Agricultural University. One of his interests was the situation in the Amazon forest. He told me never to join a scheme like this because the topsoil in the rainforest is about a foot deep and will not survive beyond three to five years without trees.
Now we understand why farming will never stop expanding while leaving behind unfertile soil, slowly killing the rainforest. I was ignorant at that time, understanding little of the plight of the Indigenous people of Brazil. I know better now, and I wrote my book 'Hundred Shades of Green' because I want you to know better too!
The Amazon Rainforest provides 25% of the oxygen we need and regulates the world's water resources.
You can help by buying my book "Hundred Shades of Green". Half my royalties will support the reforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.
To order a copy or an e-book: https://walterhes.ampbk.com
Amazon.com/Kindle or at any major bookstore.

Post Views : 128