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.
Carolina Bataier
Reporter
Journalist graduated from Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (Unesp), she is a writer, mother and appreciator of life without haste. In 2018, she published the book of chronicles “O pôr do sol dos astronautas” (The astronauts’ sunset), published by Letramento. “Pia cheia” is her debut work of poetry.
Eduardo Carlini
Cartographer and researcher
Geographer graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). He has experience in Geography and Thematic Cartography, with emphasis on Agrarian Geography, working mainly in data analysis on the agrarian and indigenous issues.
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.
Laura Faerman
Video editor
Documentary filmmaker graduated from the University of São Paulo, Laura monitored and documentend the National Truth Commission for Indigenous Peoples, which investigated the violations of rights committed by the Brazilian State during the military dictatorship. She was co-director of the audiovisual series Memória Perigosa and the documentary Vento na Fronteira, which examines the land conflicts between landowners and the Guarani Kaiowá people, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Luís Indriunas
Assistant editor, reporter and screenwriter
With over 20 years of experience as a journalist. Luís holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of São Paulo, and a master’s degree in development planning from the Federal University of Pará. He was a correspondent for Folha de S.Paulo in Belém (PA), collaborator for Agência Estado, business reporter for AESetorial, executive editor of the newspaper O Liberal and editor of politics and daily life at UOL. He is the author of the educational book Migração – Gente em Movimento and one of the playwrighters of the Palavras para Teatro collection.
Nanci Pittelkow
Reporter and social media manager
Journalist graduated from the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP). She accumulated 20 years of experience with business communication and corporate narratives, when she added specializations at FGV and in Public Relations at ECA. She has specializations in Screenwriting and Audiovisual at ECA, AIC, and b_arco and with Carlos Reichenbach. She is the author of biographical reports and a popular social movement activist.
Natalie Hornos
Producer & campaign manager
Student in the master’s programme in Latin American studies at the Universidad Andina Símon Bolívar, Ecuador. Natalie holds a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from the Complutense University of Madrid and an undergraduate degree in social communication. She is part of the audiovisual collective Nós, Madalenas, as co-producer and co-screenwriter of a documentary series about domestic labour, land regularisation and indigenous women in Mato Grosso do Sul. At Agribusiness Watch, she coordinates institutional campaigns, produces the audiovisual content and works on the elaboration and development of projects.
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.