Soybeans on a field in Monte Maiz. The soybean is the part of the plant used in many different aliments for human consumption, to feed animals and even to produce bio-fuel, but it also has a huge impact on the environment and public health of the communities where it is grown.
A seeding machine seen from behind is dropping soy seeds on a field in the Monte Maiz region. 22 million hectares of land were planted this year in Argentina with soy. These are two-thirds of the available arable land. Only one machine like this can seed 100 hectares on a single day. Production is almost completely automatized and in many cases with the right machines, only one man is needed to the all the work, creating massive unemployment in the area.
Mr. Domingos holds soy seeds. These soy seeds are genetically modified and are able to resist pesticides like glyphosate, which is used to kill all the other weeds and plants on the fields. The use of glyphosate is causing wide environmental and public health problems.
A plane fumigates a soy field close by the town of Monte Maiz. Residents claim that aerial pulverizations are one of the many causes for the cases of cancer grow exponentially in the area since the introduction of glyphosate on the soya cultivation. 26,000,000 litres of pesticides are sprayed in Argentina - which per hectare is ten times more than in the USA.
Claudio Fuentes (34) and Antonia Alaris (36) with their son Axel David Fuentes (8) in front of the soy field that faces their home in Monte Maiz. Their daughter, Antonella Fuentes, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous bone tumour, at the age of 6. She died a few months later. The cases of cancer grew exponentially in the area since the introduction of glyphosate on the soy cultivation. 707
Cancer cases per 100,000 people were registered by health researchers in the core area of soybean cultivation. These are three times as many as the national average.
A mosquito, a term used to name the machine that pulverizes the glyphosate on the soy cultivation, is parked next to a house in the town of Monte Maiz. Many residents complain that parking pulverization machines and storing chemicals inside the town and next to houses grows the risk of cancer and other related diseases.
Mayor of Monte Maiz, Dr Luis Maria Trotte, a former paediatrician, in his office in the Town Hall. The mayor said he has a plan to move and forbid the parking of pulverization machines and agro-chemicals inside the town. He is waiting for the confirmation that the pesticides are the cause of such growth of cancer cases in Monte Maiz. Dr Luis Maria Trotte was also diagnosed with cancer.
Flooded soy fields on Monte Maiz region.. Floods are really common nowadays in the region because the soil can't absorb much water since pesticides make it harder and less absorbent. Another reason is that soy needs less water than other crops, so the water under the soil is just a mere 30cm from the surface making floods common when rainfalls.
Agro-chemicals containers piled in the landfill of Monte Maiz, next to a soy field. There isn't any plan to collect or to storage used agrochemical containers, so they are just sent to the landfill and mixed with normal garbage or chucked away. Many of them still contain residues of pesticides, which will contaminate the environment and the water of the region.
Gonzalo Carrizo (14) holds a Tucura, or giant lobster, as local people commonly call it in Quimili. The Tucura's are a huge plague that is eating most of the endemic plants of the region. Simone Dominguez (67), claims that they came inside the soya trucks. Until 14 years ago there weren't any giant lobsters in the region.
The contrast of two realities. On the left side, a cultivation field fumigated with glyphosate with no life is ready to be planted with soy seeds and on the right side is a piece of land owned by the indigenous community with a pristine forest. The region around Quimili on the Santiago Estero Province is being vastly converted from forestland into fields to produce soy, destroying the habitats for local species and indigenous people.
Santo Ramon Gonzales (35), sits in his backyard. He complains that soy producers are doing everything they can to expel his community out of their land. He says they use many different tactics like: pulverize their homes, fields and animals with glyphosate, threatening them with weapons and even claim with fake paperwork that they own the land. The indigenous people in the area are being threatened by soy producers that see their land as an opportunity to grow more of the crop. On the other hand indigenous defend sustainable agriculture and live in harmony with nature.
A forest in the area of the Guaycuro Indigenous Community of Bajo Hondo is being chopped down in order to create space for cultivation fields, most of which are exclusively for soy plantations. The region around Quimili on the Santiago Estero Province is being vastly converted from forestland into fields to produce soy, destroying the habitats for local species and indigenous people.
Marta (58) and Victoria (57) Ibarra are sisters and also the teachers of the Primary School of El Colorado. They are against soya cultivation and the usage of the glysophate on the fields. They are fighting against it for years, which they claim is a tough process but slowly they are managing to win some support for their cause. They managed that aeroplanes stop fumigating close to the village. Unlike most people of El Colorado, they can speak about it because their income doesn't depend on soy cultivation, like most of the village population.
A doll sits on top of containers with gasoline. Children play freely in the Guaycuro Indigenous Community, but sometimes dangerous are closer than you will imagine.
Salto Rosa Graciela (41) and her daughter Carina Maribel Salto (15), suffer both of health problems due to the soya plantations close to their house in allotment number 4 of the Guaycuro Indigenous Community. Much health-related illnesses like cancer, respiratory diseases and suddenly abortions occur in areas where soy is cultivated.
The mother of Cristian Ferreyra, shouts for justice during the trial on her son’s assassination. Cristian Ferreyra a member of the National Movement of Indigenous Farmers (MOCASE) was assassinated on the 16th of November 2011. Soy businessman Jorge Ciccioli, accused of being the mastermind of the crime was at the end absolved of any crime, while his keeper, Javier Juárez, who pressed the trigger was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In Argentina, "big agriculture" is a massive business. Farmers look at a mosquito, used to apply agrochemicals in agriculture fields like soy, on the Expo Agro fair, where producers have the chance to see new lines of agriculture machinery.
Trucks wait for their turn to be weighted and have the quality of their cargo checked at Terminal 6 of the General San Martin Port, San Lorenzo. Around 1,300 trucks deliver grains at Terminal 6, representing 40,000 tons a day, which is half of the capacity that the port can receive in one single day. Terminal 6 is the largest of its kind in South America where 80,000 tons per day are received by trucks, trains and boats. The grains are then processed at the plant located at the port and then shipped worldwide.
A worker strains a sample of soybeans to get rid of impurities, inside the testing office at Terminal 6 of the General San Martin Port, San Lorenzo. This is done to understand the quality of the grains delivered and the value of the cargo, previously hoovered from a truck. Around 1,300 trucks deliver grains at Terminal 6, representing 40,000 tons a day, which is half of the capacity that the port can receive in one single day. Terminal 6 is the largest of its kind in South America where 80,000 tons per day are received by trucks, trains and boats. The grains are then processed at the plant located at the port and then shipped worldwide.
Soybeans are stored in cells before they are crushed at the processing plant in Terminal 6 of the General San Martin Port, San Lorenzo. There are 15 cells and 15 silos in the port with a storage capacity of 1,6 million tons. On average per day, 8 boats discharge their content in the port, corresponding to 14,000 tons. Terminal 6 is the largest of its kind in South America where 80,000 tons per day are received by trucks, trains and boats. The grains are then processed at the plant located at the port and then shipped worldwide.
A boat docked at the boat waiting to be loaded with grains at Terminal 6 of the General San Martin Port, located on Paraná river. On average 8 boats discharge their content in the port, corresponding to 14,000 tons a day. Terminal 6 is the largest of its kind in South America where 80,000 tons per day are received by trucks, trains and boats. The grains are then processed at the plant located at the port and then shipped worldwide.
A field without life in Quimili. Only the far away from trees are proof that once on this meadow existed a forest and abundant wildlife. Every tree was chopped down to give space to cultivation fields, which mostly are for soy. The white wastage on the ground is the rest of the cotton that was previously grown. Farmers need to rotate crops in order to keep the sustainability of the soil.