La complejidad de la selva tropical, los pueblos indígenas y los derechos de los trabajadores: ¡protege su legado ahora!
La campaña “RAINFORESTS THRIVE WITH THEIR PEOPLE!” aborda la urgente crisis de la destrucción de los bosques tropicales y la explotación de los trabajadores forestales. Impulsada por el extractivismo destructivo, la tala ilegal y los incendios provocados por delincuentes, la pérdida de bosques primarios tropicales va en aumento y contribuye significativamente a las emisiones de carbono a nivel mundial. Esta destrucción está intrínsecamente ligada a la explotación de los 33,3 millones de personas empleadas en el sector forestal, muchas de las cuales se enfrentan a condiciones peligrosas, empleo informal y trabajo forzado, sobre todo en los países en desarrollo.
La campaña destaca la necesidad de contar con soluciones integradas que aborden tanto los derechos medioambientales como los laborales. Destaca que sin proteger a las personas que viven en los bosques tropicales y dependen de ellos, la justicia climática es inalcanzable. La organización sindical Rainforest Alliance, encabezada por Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), pretende unir a los trabajadores de las principales regiones selváticas de Sudamérica, África y el Sudeste Asiático. Esta alianza pretende contrarrestar la exclusión de los trabajadores forestales de los debates políticos cruciales, como el contrato de la “Alianza de los Bosques” entre Brasil, Indonesia y el Congo. Las principales reivindicaciones de la campaña son promover el trabajo digno, preservar las comunidades y proteger el medio ambiente. Defiende los Programas de trabajo digno y el uso sostenible de los recursos forestales. Con la Asamblea General de FSC, la campaña insta a los principales actores sociales a traducir los compromisos en acciones, garantizando que los recursos se asignen sobre la base de modelos sostenibles dirigidos por los trabajadores. En 2023, los sistemas de certificación seguirán estando muy concentrados en zonas con bosques boreales y templados, y solo el 15 % de los bosques certificados por FSC se encontrarán en regiones tropicales, teniendo en cuenta que la certificación forestal es una En última instancia, destaca que el futuro de las selvas tropicales está entrelazado con el bienestar de sus habitantes.
No hay justicia medioambiental sin derechos de los trabajadores. La explotación, en cualquiera de sus formas, nunca puede ser “sostenible”. Sin proteger las selvas tropicales y a sus habitantes, no podemos tener justicia climática.
Bruno Bothua, Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI)
Bruno Bothua is an experienced cabinetmaker and trade union leader with deep commitment to worker dignity. After three decades at HillRom, he moved into union leadership through CGT and FNSCBA-CGT. Today he serves as BWI Vice-President for Europe, EFBWW Wood and Forestry Committee Chair, and Confederation Director of Administration and Finance. His mission is to promote an FSC grounded in rights-based standards, collective bargaining, and respect for indigenous communities.
Mark Ofori Asante, Timber and Woodworkers Union of TUC, Ghana
Mark Ofori, General Secretary of the Timber and Woodworkers Union of TUC Ghana, is a visionary leader advancing sustainability, social justice, and business excellence. He supports FSC-certified companies, drives digital safety innovations, and leads climate-resilient forestry, including a 630-hectare afforestation effort with carbon-smart practices. Mark champions Indigenous knowledge, inclusive governance, and fair benefit-sharing. A lifelong advocate for workers’ rights, he sees FSC as a catalyst for community empowerment, biodiversity protection, and global climate action.
Rulita Wijayaningdyah, Kahutindo
Rulita Wijayaningdyah has over 25 years’ experience with Indonesia’s forestry trade union Kahutindo and Building and Wood Workers International, leading capacity-building, sectoral relations, and advocacy for worker-inclusive climate and forestry policies. She has represented trade unions in global forums, serving as ILO Tripartite Experts Co-Vice Chair. As an FSC member and former Board Chair, she championed Core Labour Requirements, ensuring workers’ rights are embedded in FSC-certified supply chains while promoting “Sustainable Forestry for Sustainable Jobs.”
Tony Berggren, Union of Workers from the Forestry, Extraction and Processing, Brazil (SINTREXBEM)
Tony Berggren, elected president of UNI Europa Graphical & Packaging in 2023, also serves as international secretary of Sweden’s GS Facket. He supports global trade unions in recruiting members and advocating for fair working conditions, including work-hour regulations, employment protection, and co-determination. Berggren is deeply engaged in international labor issues, notably strengthening wood and forestry unions in both planted and native forests worldwide, promoting solidarity, decent work, and sustainable practices across borders.
Ernesto Marval, Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI)
He studied Political Science at the Metropolitan Autonomous University of Mexico City, UAM. He began as coordinator of the youth care programs of the Inter-American Regional Organization of Workers, ORIT (today the Trade Union Confederation of Workers of the Americas, TUCA) from 1994 to 2005. He was Regional Secretary for Education and Project Coordinator of Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) from 2009 to 2018. Since 2019 he has been BWI Regional Policy Officer in the Panama City Regional Office, where he also attends and supports the area of Migrant Labour, the membership of unions with workers in the wood and forestry sector and facilitates the action of these unions in FSC International, of which he has been a member since 2017 in the Southern Social Chamber.
Event Details
- Wednesday, 29 October
- Time: 14:30 - 16:00 (EST - Panama) / 20:30 - 22:00 (CET) / 03:30 - 05:00 (WITA)