Suriname Acts Against Illegal Amazon Clearing

A new government task force targets unauthorized agriculture and cattle ranching in the Amazon, with some Mennonite settlers receiving court notices.

Suriname has established a task force to address illegal land clearing within its Amazon Rainforest territory. The government initiative targets land developers involved in unauthorized agriculture and cattle ranching, according to a Mongabay report from August 7, 2026. Many areas under scrutiny are linked to Mennonite communities who migrated to Suriname from other parts of the region.

Conservationists have voiced concerns that the history of industrial-scale clearing and unpermitted ranching by some Mennonites in other nations poses a risk to Suriname's rainforest. President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons stated during an August 4 press briefing that individuals active in clearing land in the interior are there illegally, and measures will be taken against them.

Officials have begun investigating illegal settlements and are revising zoning for hundreds of thousands of hectares of primary forest previously designated for agribusiness. President Geerlings-Simons confirmed that some Mennonites in Suriname have received a deurwaardersexploot, a written notice delivered by a bailiff requiring a court appearance.

The government's actions follow earlier plans. In 2023, Mongabay reported on a proposed Mennonite pilot program, which involved relocating approximately 1,000 families from Bolivia and possibly other areas to up to 30,000 hectares of land. Mongabay also detailed government plans in 2023 and 2024 to transfer around 467,000 hectares of primary rainforest from the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) for future agribusiness development.

These plans drew criticism, particularly given Suriname's status as one of only three countries globally with net-negative carbon emissions, absorbing more CO₂ than it releases. In response to public feedback, officials canceled the Mennonite pilot program and paused development on the land transferred to LVV. However, the LVV retained control of the land, leading to another development attempt involving Mennonites in early 2026 through a public-private partnership.

President Geerlings-Simons recently mentioned the several hundred thousand hectares transferred to LVV, stating she had asked officials to reverse that decision. She specified that only areas in the coastal plain, which are already cleared and degraded, should remain under LVV control for agricultural promotion. For years, Suriname has imported a significant portion of its food, prompting discussions about increasing domestic agricultural production, sometimes through accepting Mennonite communities known for farming success in countries like Belize and Bolivia.

However, reports indicate Mennonites have also acquired land and cleared forests without proper permits, causing environmental damage that conservationists in Suriname say the country cannot afford. In April 2026, Mongabay reported that Mennonites from Belize had visited Suriname to negotiate a land purchase of about 38,000 hectares of rainforest for agricultural development.

The task force, created by President Geerlings-Simons, includes government officials, police officers, attorneys, and forest rangers. Its mandate is to investigate unauthorized occupation and land clearing, according to John Goedschalk, a climate advisor to the president. Goedschalk emphasized that Suriname is not a destination for large-scale colonization and must protect its rainforests long-term. He stated that while agriculture on the coast is acceptable, establishing separate societies in the forests that do not comply with local legislation will not be permitted.

The government’s firm stance reinforces the protection of Suriname’s extensive forest cover, ensuring that jungle stays and their surrounding ecosystems remain undisturbed by unauthorized agricultural expansion.