Agribusiness Watch is a journalistic observatory focused on the social, environmental, political and economic impacts of the agribusiness industry. From deforestation to human rights violations against indigenous peoples, peasants and other traditional communities. From pesticide overuse to the influence of landowner politicians in the Congress.
We believe independent journalism plays a vital role in democracy, contributing to build a renewed and more humane treatment towards people and the environment.
Our work includes:
- Production of news articles and daily newsletters
- Cartographic research: INVADERS project; Map of Indigenous Lands overlaid by Rural Registries in Brazil; Map of Environmental Fines in Brazil 1995-2019
- Special investigations: The Financiers of Destruction (report on the financing chain behind the Agriculture Parliamentary Front); The Bolsonaro Dossiers (series of reports showing conflicts of interest in Jair Bolsonaro’s agrarian policies); The Political Arc of Deforestation (series funded by the Rainforest Journalism Fund/Pulitzer Center); series exploring the role of politicians and businessmen in the genocide against Guarani Kaiowá people; series of 36 articles examining the expansion of Brazilian landowners in Paraguay
- Data research and on-demand investigation for the Rapid Response Monitoring System (Aidenvironment/Mighty Earth) and reports There Will Be Blood (Earthsight UK) and Complicity in Destruction (Amazon Watch)
- Book publishing: “O Protegido – Por que o país ignora as terras de FHC” (Autonomia Literária, 2019), articles in the Agribusiness Atlas and the dossier Environmental Rights Flexibilization
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Team
Alceu Luís Castilho
Director & Editor-in-chief
Author of the book “Partido da Terra: como os políticos conquistam o território brasileiro” (Contexto, 2012), which led to the creation of the observatory. Alceu holds an undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of São Paulo (USP), and worked for the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo and Reuters Agency. In recent years, as director of Agribusiness Watch, he has published articles in El Pais Brasil and the La Vanguardia (Spain). He has won various prizes for human rights, educational and economic journalism and a scholarship from the Pulitzer Center during the elections of 2020.
Bruno Bassi
Project manager & researcher
Master’s student in Environment and Rural Development at the University of Brasília (UnB). He has a degree in International Relations, having participated in delegations to the Public Forum of the World Trade Organization and the G20 Youth Summit. Responsible for coordinating the Agribusiness Watch’s research area.
Elenita Fogaça
Press officer
Specialized in the real estate and construction markets, the journalist has worked in the field for over two decades. She worked for 12 years at O Estado de S.Paulo and has published articles in the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper and in Veja, Marie Claire, Claudia, Exame and Carta Capital magazines, among others. She was editor of the magazines SindusCon-SP, OAS and OMA Express, and writes the blog “Seu Metro Quadrado”.
Felipe Fogaça
Graphic designer
He holds an undergraduate degree in graphic design and visual communication from Universidade Paulista de Sorocaba and has worked in the area of advertising and agitation since 2013. Creator of Rubric Project, which brings the graphic scene, workshops and a podcast to the countryside of São Paulo. Felipe is militant in local vegan and ecosocialist movements is passionate about posters and subversive art.
Gaia Lourenço
Administrative Coordinator
Graduated in Social Communication with a specialization in Film Studies and Management of Civil Society Organizations. She has been active in the field of activism since 2012. Her achievements include coordinating award-winning projects, cultural production, strategic campaign development, and engagement with donors and institutional partners. She works intensively to strengthen civil society and transform narratives through audiovisual media.
Tonsk Fialho
Researcher
Law student at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and researcher, focusing on trade unions and social movements. He works at the De Olho nos Ruralistas research center on the analysis of corporate chains and lawsuits.
Vanessa Nicolav
Art director
Writer, cinematographer, video editor with over ten years experience. Researches themes related to popular video and social movements, and has developed workshops in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. She works with documentary, institutional, corporate, and journalistic videos. She has collaborated with Vice Brasil, Trip Magazine, Agência Pavio, Oxfam, Papel Social, Rede Brasil Atual, and Brasil de Fato. She is currently a video editor and multimedia content producer for Agribusiness Watch.