NGO earns money selling mushrooms and Yanomami die of starvation

The sale of mushrooms produced by the Yanomami by an organization that works with indigenous communities was questioned this Tuesday (27th) during a meeting of the CPI of NGOs in the Senate. According to the indigenous Yanomami Alberto Brazão Góes, the Instituto Socioambiental (Isa) has a “big project” related to the sale of these mushrooms abroad. Isa is a Civil Society Organization of Public Interest (Oscip) that has teams and permanent offices in São Paulo, the Federal District and four Amazonian states, in addition to operations in the regions of Vale do Ribeira, Xingu and Rio Negro.

For the native, the sale of mushrooms abroad is a contradiction, since, at the same time that the natives are dying of hunger, the institute is earning millions. “A gram of mushroom costs 7 euros. Why is the media saying that a Yanomami relative is dying of starvation? Why, if there is a project that raises millions? It’s contradictory, right? We want transparency. Did you access federal funds? Did you access funds from abroad? So show us how much it is, that we are going to enjoy it. How much will it benefit us? That’s what we want”, said the indigenous man during the CPI’s hearing of the NGOs.

Indigenous deputy bought mushrooms to test NGO store

Deputy Silvia Waiãpi (PL-AP) accompanied the indigenous man’s speech and claimed to have bought the mushrooms during the meeting. “I just took a test. I bought a mushroom and I have the invoice. While we were talking, I bought a mushroom to have as proof that, yes, they are selling mushrooms to a people that has already been subjugated and held hostage by a history that condemns us to live in 1500”, said the indigenous deputy. A People’s Gazette tried to contact the deputy to verify that the purchase had actually been made, however, he did not get a response until the closing of the matter.

At Loja do Isa, mushrooms are advertised with prices between R$25 and R$39, for packages with 15 or 30 grams of the whole product or powder. Right after Congresswoman Silvia’s speech at the CPI, the team from the People’s Gazette checked the Loja do Isa website and some products, especially mushrooms, were now listed as unavailable for purchase.

A People’s Gazette He also tried to contact Isa’s store to question Isa about the statements made by the indigenous person to the CPI and to verify the reasons for the unavailability of the products, however, he did not receive a response until the closing of this article. The space remains open for publication of the institute’s positioning.

NGO store points out that proceeds from the sale of Yanomami mushrooms are destined for indigenous communities

On its website, Isa states that “resources from the sale of mushrooms are entirely destined to the producing Yanomami communities”. The product is presented as the result of work carried out over the last four years between Isa and the Hutukara Associação Yanomami.

In a note published by Isa in January of this year, the NGO said it was the target of misinformation and reaffirms that “all revenue obtained is from the Hutukara Associação Yanomami, which reverts to its people.” The note also suggests that “ISA does not make any profit from the activity [da sua loja online]” and, furthermore, that “there is no correlation between this activity and cases of malnutrition in the Yanomami Indigenous Land”.