The international market needs to adopt an instrument of selective trade restrictions on Brazilian products as a way to combat the use of slave labor.

This measure is defended by the Brazilian political scientist, Leonardo Sakamoto, who is a member of the National Commission for the Eradication of slave Labor in Brazil (CONATRAE).

At the end of last month, he presented this proposal to the German government and entrepreneurs. Sakamoto was invited to expatiate on this theme before a parliamentary commission in Berlin. It was there that he called for a selective trade ban.

"The same way the whole world checks sources to see whether a product is contaminated by hoof and mouth disease, the idea is for them to check on the use of slave labor, too," Sakamoto explained in an interview.

The political scientist recommended that foreign businessmen who buy raw materials from Brazil first check the list of farms and ranches where workers subjected to slave working conditions have been found. This is the so-called black list, available on the Ministry of Labor's website.

According to Sakamoto, for purchasers of manufactured items, the guideline is to demand that, on their invoices, their suppliers provide information on the sources of their raw materials. This will make it possible to determine whether a product originated on a farm or ranch where slave labor is employed.

A study conducted in 2004 by the non-governmental organization, Brazil Reporter, at the request of the Special Secretariat of Human Rights, traced the destination of products from farms and ranches on the blacklist and discovered that part of this production was destined for export.

"We identified over 200 Brazilian and transnational companies that made use of slave labor or did business with companies that made use of slave labor," Sakamoto affirmed.

The survey found slave labor present in cattle-ranching (beef and viscera), soybeans (beans, oil, and feed), sugarcane (fuel alcohol and sugarcane liquor), coffee, cotton, black pepper, and charcoal for steel-making.

Even though they were not part of the study, other supply chains, such as tomatoes, fruits, and wood, also evidence the problem. Since the study was based only on the blacklist, these areas were omitted.

Agência Brasil

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But why dont you free them ?
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

why accusing the world, foreign companies as you are accustomed to do when you are noit willing to put the budget to aplly your own laws....for the last 118 years, since you eliminated slavery in your constitution but still have them by a far higher number that you want to recognize just to hide to the world how unwilling and unable you are?????

Are you nmot the government who wants to develop ever more your ethanol industry.
this year your production of sugar cane will be around 443 millions tons.
40 % of the cane are harvested manually by the sugane cane cutters.Most of this industry is controlled by Brazilians, not foreigners.
These 177 millions harbevested manually, represents more than the total of all your grains produced.

Dont you see your own contradiction with your ethanol ?
To hide yourselves you will annouce these new "jobs" as positive for the economy, for the jobless rate, you will even name these news workers "green workers" because it is trendy while in fact they will be the "new green slaves"

Shame on you.
You remain a medieval country.

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Enlighten us please...
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

Let us be so advanced as you who invade foreing lands and kill innocent lives (obviously, if it done by you, it cannot be named "medieval" can it?)

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We should do this to China
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

but then Wal-Mart would have to close, and where would we get our $40 DVD players?

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...
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

Having worked in Mato Grosso, and having seen slave laborers first-hand, I think it should be a mandatory school course credit that most Paulistas, get off their fat asses, travel their own country, and see the conditions states like Para, Mato grosso, et.al inflict on their Brasilian brethren (as well, it should be mandatory that self-loathing Liberal Americans wishing to live here, do the same). Comparing WALMART (conditions at home or abroad) to the realities of those truly suffering at the hands of pistoleiros in remote regions of Brazil is the apogee of ignorance, and you do those in dire need of help a considerable disservice.

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Our DVD !
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

But China is growing at 10 % per year. They are fast filling the gap.
Look at Brazil, they say they are booming, but they have the least growth rate of ALL developing countries, on a 1, 3 or 5 years basis.

How can the even think to only reduce the gap ?

Simply stated the USA are growing are a faster rate than Brazil.

Show us the simple maths of how could anyone reduce the gap if they grow slower.....on whatever time frame of your choice ?

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Our DVD !
written by Guest, April 19, 2006

I believe that the reader who referred to Wal Mart meant that it is by far the largest buyers in the world of goods produced in China.
Therefore he meant the Chinese "slaves" I think !

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...
written by Guest, April 20, 2006

if a country permits "slave labor" conditions to exist, there are going to be capitalists, both foreign and domestic that will exploit the situation.

These situations exist because the prospective gov'ts. allow them to!

quote:

"The political scientist recommended that foreign businessmen who buy raw materials from Brazil first check the list of farms and ranches where workers subjected to slave working conditions have been found. This is the so-called black list, available on the Ministry of Labor's website."

They have a "list" for christ's sake. So obviously they know where this activity is occurring and even by whom....why wouldn't the brazilian authorities go directly to them, seize the owners land, and put them in jail???

Wouldn't you say that would be a much more appropriate action than putting the responsibility on a company or group that has possibly never even stepped foot in brazil to confirm they're purchasing products not made or harvested with the use of slave labor???

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Yes
written by Guest, April 20, 2006

Re: the above post-

Of course that would be a better idea, but it's obviously not going to happen. These land owners have an elusive little defense against the government called MONEY.
Not to mention these places would be crippled without their endentured servants. Then where is all of that precious sugar cane and subsequent export power going to come from? You think the land owners are going to head out to the fields and harvest it themselves? They'd rather drink caiparihnas and watch futbol. As long as this country is agricultural, there will be slaves. Sad but true, Catch-22. This latest action by the government with this "black-list" is complete bullshit, meant to make it look as though something is being done about slavery and like the above poster said it's even more pathetic because they're putting the responsibility on organizations that may have never even stepped foot in the country. What a joke.

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