Imperialism In The Amazon Rainforest

Deep within the Amazon forests of Ecuador and Peru resides several elusive tribal

groups that remain unaffected by the influences of globalization. More than 1 million ancestral

people indigenous to the Amazon region can be divided into approximately 400 tribes that share

their own specific language, territory, and culture. They heavily rely on the Rain Forest’s

resources for the survival of their bodies and minds—but as modern day imperialism seeps its

way throughout the globe and ravages the earth’s vast resources, the consequences and

effects are beginning to reveal themselves. Throughout history, imperialism has been a major

cause of conflict amongst various cultures, and it continues to shape the modern world. By

understanding

Approximately 30% of the world’s oil reservoirs lie underneath the Amazon rainforest which has

prompted oil and gas development. Consequently, oil extraction has resulted in “the release of

toxic drilling by-products into local rivers, while broken pipelines and leakage result in persistent

oil spillage. In addition, the construction of roads for accessing remote oil sites opens remote

lands to colonists and land developers.” (rainforests.mongabay.com) This means that

Indigenous cultures will continue to perish due to displacement and depopulation, locals living in

the area will have no choice but to move due to unsafe conditions. Not only have oil companies

such as Texaco and Shell reaped the resources, but they’ve abandoned several oil extraction

plants and left them in disastrous conditions that have completely decimated those regions.

Despite that, they’ve managed to walk away unscathed from lawsuits and fair compensation—

all for the sake of money and power.

The world’s agriculture is a monopoly. At a closer glance, companies like Monsanto, an

agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, have been ruthless against

Monsanto genetically modifies seeds to yield certain characteristics by inserting the

desired trait using bacteria to deceive the plant into accepting the gene. They then market the

seeds with a claim that it produces higher yields that are more resistant to insects and diseases.

Furthermore, they patent the seeds—basically claiming the seeds as their own property, then

sell them at staggering prices with hefty regulations. Due to companies like Monsanto, the price

of “soybeans has increased 325 percent. Corn has risen 259 percent. And the price of

genetically modified cotton has jumped a stunning 516 percent” (www.miaminewtimes.com)

since 1996. Moreover, Monsanto alone owns 90% of the corn and 85% of the soybeans