A problem that I believe is of some importance not only because of the human rights abuses associated with this issue, but also the environmental ramifications of its existance, is the issue of slave labor used in clearing Brazil's rainforest. This is yet again a problem that arises from a steep economic disparity among citizens in Third World nations and the voracious appetites of the First World consumers. Who, in the end suffers and is marginalized as little more than a commodity by corporations that see profits as more important than human dignity? In this case, the brazilian peasants who flock to the rainforests in search of work, virtually turned into slaves. Slave labor clears Amazon jungle to make way for cattle ranching and soybean fields, with the EU(European Union) and the United States as the top benificiaries of these products. Most "Brazilian hardwoods" sold in the US are from former rainforests cleared by slaves. Two woods to be aware of are called Jatoba and Ipe. This is an issue that we could highlight for its dual effects on not just impoverished Brazilians, but everyone on this planet. This was the article I found on this issue:http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/brazil/taint.htm
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