Finnish Forests in the Uruguayan Pampas

Eucalyptus and its transformation into cellulose pulp have been a form of veiled economic, social, environmental and political invasion used by the Finnish multinational UPM in Uruguay.

This investigation, carried out in text and image by journalists G Jaramillo Rojas, Dahian Cifuentes, Marta Saiz and Bernat Marrè, exposes not only the complex power dynamics and environmental responsibilities faced by international pulp companies, but also raises crucial questions about the sustainability of UPM's practices, the ethical implications of its global expansion and the urgent need, as demanded by social movements in Finland and Uruguay, to re-evaluate economic growth models linked to industries that are both socially and ecologically unsustainable.

Photo: Bernat Marrè

IMPACT

In Uruguay, following the publication of the investigation in August 2024, the Ministry of Environment released a report in December 2024 acknowledging 62 violations of permissible levels of sulfur-based emissions near the UPM II plant in Paso de los Toros. The plant also accumulated 11 environmental sanctions, including for chemical spills, during that period. These issues, central to the investigation, have spurred media coverage and public debate, though they have not yet resulted in parliamentary motions specifically referencing the report.