Abstract

This essay explores the convergence between modern slavery and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon, positioning them as interconnected sources of social and environmental victimisation. Through historical and contemporary analysis, it demonstrates how abusive labour exploitation — notably debt bondage — has facilitated illegal deforestation, cattle ranching, and mining, contributing to the Amazon's ecological degradation. Drawing from criminological and victimological theories, the research reveals how modern slavery perpetuates severe social harm while functioning as a mechanism for reproducing environmental injustice, with far-reaching consequences for climate change. By investigating this nexus, the paper promotes a deeper understanding of labour victimisation as a central factor in environmental harm and advocates for a victim-centred policy framework to address both social and ecological injustices in the Amazon and beyond.

Keywords

Modern slavery Amazon Rainforest State-corporate harm Victimization