A stark message is emblazoned across a 17,000 square foot mural in São Paulo, Brazil, one of the busiest commercial hubs in South America. The mural, painted on a building overlooking Paulista Avenue, calls out the billionaire Cargill-MacMillan family, owners of the agricultural giant Cargill, for their role in the environmental destruction of the region.
The artwork, created by renowned Brazilian street artist Mundano in collaboration with the Burning Legacy Campaign at Stand.earth, serves as a powerful symbol of the crisis facing South America’s ecosystems. Painted with the ashes of forests decimated to make way for Cargill’s plantations and mud from areas devastated by climate-driven floods, the mural speaks volumes about the company’s impact.
This summer has seen record-breaking wildfires sweep across South America, with the vast majority intentionally set to clear land for industrial agriculture. The region is also grappling with unprecedented flooding, exacerbated by deforestation and environmental instability. The mural powerfully depicts the devastation wrought by Cargill and the resilience of Indigenous communities on the frontlines of this environmental battle.
Cargill, the largest privately held company in the US and the world’s largest agricultural corporation, has long faced criticism for its role in deforestation, displacement of Indigenous peoples, child labor, slavery, and other environmental and human rights violations worldwide. The Cargill-MacMillan family, with a combined net worth exceeding $60 billion, has come under increasing pressure to address these concerns.
The mural is just one element of a multifaceted campaign aimed at holding the Cargill-MacMillan family accountable. Over 20 organizations have signed a letter demanding the family eliminate human rights abuses and environmental destruction throughout Cargill’s supply chain. While Cargill committed in November 2023 to eliminating deforestation from its supply chain in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay by 2025, its history of broken promises raises serious doubts.
Mundano, the muralist, poignantly asks the Cargill-MacMillans: “Do you want to be remembered for being a family that accelerated the extinction of humanity or for being the family that understood the urgency and was one of the driving forces behind initiating major global change?”
The campaign is not limited to public art. Stand.earth is taking the message directly to the family’s doorstep with posters created by Indigenous leaders and villagers, each bearing their name in the same ash as the mural, accompanied by the phrase “Keep Your Promise–Stop the Destruction.”
The family has attempted to distance themselves from responsibility, claiming they are not involved in Cargill’s management. However, activists argue that as owners, they bear the ultimate responsibility for the company’s actions.
Adding further fuel to the fire is Cargill’s aggressive push for the Ferrogrão mega-railway project in the Amazon. This project, currently suspended by Brazil’s Supreme Court, aims to cut through over 600 miles of rainforest, driving an estimated half a million acres of deforestation. The project is intended to facilitate the transport of grain for animal feed to China and Europe, exacerbating the environmental crisis and jeopardizing the rights of Indigenous communities.
Advocates warn that the Ferrogrão project, if allowed to proceed, would undermine Cargill’s stated commitment to eliminating deforestation. They are calling on the Cargill-MacMillan family to renounce their support for the project and prevent its advancement.
The mural in São Paulo serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for accountability and action in the face of environmental destruction. The eyes of the world are on the Cargill-MacMillan family, waiting to see if they will choose to protect the planet or contribute to its demise.
