Grettel Navas, CASAS’ member, has published this chapter with Francisco Venes in the book Contested Waste.
Abstract: The favela of Cidade Estrutural in Brazil’s Federal District, home to a major landfill, has long relied on waste picking as a critical source of income for its inhabitants. However, the landfill poses severe health risks due to air pollution, inadequate waste management, and toxic waste. In response, the government launched the Sustainable Brasilia project, aimed at closing the landfill and providing housing for displaced families. Despite this, the project sparked protests, as some families were relocated to unsafe areas while others were left without access to basic services. The Fórum de Monitoramento Social da Estrutural was formed to challenge the government’s policies, leading to court interventions against forced displacements. Although the landfill was finally closed in 2017, waste pickers protested the government’s failure to follow Brazil’s Solid Waste Law, which mandates social and economic value for recyclable waste. The closure jeopardised the livelihood of many, as waste pickers struggle against the government’s privatisation of waste management services and the loss of their jobs. The case illustrates the intersection of environmental justice, urban displacement, and the rights of informal workers.
Read the chapter here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003468516-67/waste-pickers-pollution-public-policy-francisco-venes-grettel-navas
Follow us on our social media
CASAS
The Collective of Agrarian Scholar-Activists from the Global South (CASAS) is a community of Scholar-Activists working in critical agrarian studies.