“Planting Poverty, the forestry business in Chile” is a documentary created by Resumen (Chilean digital newspaper) that addresses the origin and consequences of the expansion of the forest industry in the south central area of Chile.

The plantations of pine and eucalyptus, pulp mills and the entire road and port infrastructure that serves the forestry business are elements that, not only constitute the gear of lucrative and unique business, but also represent the exploitation of the occupied territories and the impoverishment of their communities.

Currently, the places that support plantations and pulp mills do not offer living conditions to the neighboring communities, thus forcing people to emigrate, leaving the spaces previously used in the production or harvesting of food and forest conservation completely available to the forestry business. An example of this reality is that the communities presented as “suitable for forestry” reach migration and poverty rates that exceed the national average.

However, this process has been set under the obsequiousness and servility of the authorities in power. From military dictatorship to civilian rule, all have defended this entrepreneurship, calling development to the opening of new centers of mining and forestry services, calling tree plantations as forests, and calling the rule of law to the imposition of the business will, through repression and terrorism of state.

“Planting Poverty” aims to contribute to understand the process of how this industry has expanded and what are its consequences on different scales. Going beyond the verification of disasters and miseries, “Planting Poverty” shows the possibility of reversing the consequences caused by the forestry business, through the testimony of invisible communities that are implementing strategies for forest recovery, and water and food sovereignty recovery.

To all of us who live in this territory, the powerful have tried to convince us of a false dilemma: “Either there is forest companies or poverty.” In fact, we have seen that our impoverishment has worsened as they have expanded. Today, the recovery of our territory is imposed as a necessary condition for our survival, and this does not fit ambiguities. The forest industry must leave and environmental and social repair policies must be implemented. The documentary “Planting Poverty” seeks to contribute to this fight.

Watch the trailer in Spanish here: