Two giant U.S. commodity traders bought soybeans in Brazil from farmers that are trying to evict a traditional community from South America's largest savanna, where deforestation is hastening global warming, watchdog group Global Witness has found.
The Brazilian grains producers, who say they bought the disputed land legally, have been fighting in court since 2017 to evict the Capao do Modesto people from part of the Cerrado, where the cattle herders say they have lived for 200 years.
Severino de Oliveira, a member of the Capao do Modesto, said his people's way of life was under threat, accusing the farmers of destroying cattle fences and using security guards to intimidate the community.