Mennonite communities establishing new colonies in the Peruvian Amazon are contributing to deforestation as they clear land for farming, prompting investigations by authorities.
Mennonite colonies have expanded in the Amazon, clearing forested areas for agriculture and settlement.
Peruvian authorities are investigating the colonies for illegal deforestation, though the Mennonites deny wrongdoing.
Environmentalists worry these settlements exacerbate the already critical deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Key quote:
"Every colony clears the forest a little bit, but it’s very little... The forest is big."
— Peter Dyck, farmer from Belize and leader of the Providencia colony
Why this matters:
The deforestation caused by Mennonite colonies adds to the Amazon's environmental degradation, which threatens global climate stability. Addressing these practices is crucial to preserving the Amazon's role in absorbing carbon emissions.
Mennonite farmers have faced criticism for clearing thousands of hectares of forest across Latin America, often in protected areas and Indigenous territories.
Mennonite farmers have faced criticism for clearing thousands of hectares of forest across Latin America, often in protected areas and Indigenous territories.
Recently released satellite data from Bolivia shows that soy plantations were responsible for over 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) of deforestation between 2001 and 2021.
A team of journalists followed in the footsteps of five Mennonite colonies that have been reported for clearing forests by Indigenous communities and locals in Bolivia, Colombia, México, Paraguay and Perú.
