São Paulo — Representatives of social movements are pressing for changes the in methods and models of agro-fuel production and demonstrating against the boost of regional monocultures, as they restrict the development of the local populations and promote conditions of food dependence.

During a workshop held last Wednesday, on the sidelines of the International Conference on Bio-fuels, the Organisations and Social Movements of the 14 countries, namely Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico, Ecuador, Paraguay, Thailand, Holland, Swiss, Germany and United States, disagreed about the current models and strategies of agro-fuels promotion. They allege that they are not sustainable.

The Brazil's National Confederation of Farm Workers (CONTAG) considered, through its dispatch to the conference, "very bad the working conditions in the sugar sector".

According to Gilberto Cervinski, a member of the Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAB - VIA), who was speaking to the press during the lecture, the current working conditions in sugar plantations are similar to the forced labour of slaves.