For Immediate Release
11 December 2008
Groups unite to challenge the definition of forests under
UNFCCC/REDD
Poznan, Poland (UN Climate Conference)--Global
Forest Coalition, The Wilderness Society, World Rainforest Movement,
Global Justice Ecology Project, Via Campesina, the International Youth
Delegation and the STOP GE Trees Campaign united today to challenge
the UN/REDD definition of forests.
Currently the UN considers industrial
tree plantations as forests. This is, simply put, an egregious error.
Plantations are not forests. Forests are diverse ecosystems and plantations
are void of biodiversity. The UN definition endangers Indigenous Peoples,
forest dependent people, peasants, small farmers, biodiversity and
exacerbates climate change.
The groups held a media conference
this morning and several actions occurred on the theme of calling
on the UNFCCC to change the definition of forests so it distinguishes
between native forests and plantations.
"We have united to challenge
the definition of forest under the UNFCCC to ensure that agricultural
tree crops, or plantations are not defined as a forest", said
Gemma Tillack, an international youth delegate and campaigner for
The Wilderness Society.
"The conversion of native
forests to plantations is bad for biodiversity, people and the climate.
Human rights, especially women's rights, are being violated where
there are plantations, and they should not be defined as forests.
In addition, industrial tree
plantations impact the climate--tropical forests and grasslands store
significantly more carbon than tree plantations", said Ana Filippini
from World Rainforest Movement and member of the GenderCC Network
- Women for Climate Justice.
"Schemes such as REDD allow
companies to prevent family farmers from using the land to produce
the food that is needed to feed their communities and their countries",
said Luis Muchanga of Via Campesina. He continued, "Deforestation,
which is a major driver of
global warming, is not made by peasants and indigenous peoples, but
by large companies that are given the right to convert the forest
to tree plantations".
The groups are proposing
that the definitions are changed so:
- Forests are defined as 'a terrestrial
ecosystem generated and maintained primarily through natural and ecological
and evolutionary processes that are home to most of the world's biodiversity'.
- Plantations are defined as a
crop of trees planted and regularly harvested by humans that do not
provide habitat for biodiversity.
"The definition of forests
under REDD is utterly ridiculous", stated Sandy Gauntlett, a
Maori indigenous rights activist from New Zealand, and representative
of Global Forest Coalition. "It leaves wide open the ability
of countries to destroy their natural forests and replace
them with industrial tree plantations-which destroys wildlife habitat
and displaces indigenous and forest dependent communities. New Zealand
is an example of the disaster of tree plantations-and now we are in
the process of developing genetically engineered trees for
plantations", he continued.
"Commercial release of genetically
engineered Franken-trees in plantations poses a very serious threat
to the world's forests and peoples", added Anne Petermann, Co-Director
of Global Justice Ecology Project. "GE insect resistant trees,
for example, can contaminate
water and soils and the pollen may be toxic to people that inhale
it or wildlife that ingest it", she stated.
The groups in this joint press
release agree that: "If it is not resolved, and REDD applies
this definition of forests, the global community could miss the chance
of avoiding dangerous climate change and the 1.6 billion people who
depend on forests for there survival will continue to be negatively
affected".
Contact: Orin Langelle, Global
Forest Coalition media
coordinator +48 696 723 046
Gemma Tillack, The Wilderness Society +61 427 057 643
Ana Filippini, World Rainforest Movement +48 785 260 455
