Guatemala:
Social and environmental impacts of oil palm plantations
In comparison, Guatemala is a relatively small country but it is
very rich in biodiversity. The country is located in the Meso-American*
region, the centre of origin of traditional maize and bean landraces,
as well as of various species of pumpkins among others.
The fact of being located between two big oceans, the differences
in altitude ranging from sea level to an altitude of 4,220 metres
at the summit of the Tajumulco volcano and being part of a great
continental bridge has generated great biological wealth resulting
in a wide variety of ecosystems and animal and plant species, many
of them used by local communities for their subsistence.
A major part of this natural wealth has quickly been lost due to
changes in land use and poor land management influenced by economic
and political interests. The agro-industrial model of monoculture
plantations and products that are not aimed at feeding the population
but at exports has left its mark on nature and on the human communities,
causing serious negative environmental and social impacts.
The large scale agro-export and monoculture model which had previously
been mainly concentrated in the southern coastal region has now
moved to Departments in the north of the country where, in addition
to sugar cane plantations, oil palm plantations are to be found.
The expansion of oil palm plantation companies is taking place in
a context of evictions and forced purchase of land from impoverished
communities that have to migrate to other locations.
The areas most affected by monoculture oil palm plantations are:
the Izabal region, specifically near the Wildlife Refuge of Bocas
del Polochic, which is also a Ramsar site, and the North Transversal
Strip region in Ixcan and the south of Petén.
According to the National Statistics Institute, in 2003, 49 farms
were devoted to oil palm production, covering a total area of 31,185
hectares and producing over seven million quintals, mainly used
in the preparation of essential oils and waxes for the food and
soap industry.
The 2007 farm survey established that the number of farms dedicated
to this product had increased to 1,049 for that year and that the
area under cultivation with oil palm had spread to 65,340 hectares,
implying that it had doubled over the past 4 years. Figures in an
Action Aid report dated June 2008 show an estimated total of 83,385
hectares under plantation or in the process of plantation with oil
palm for the production of biodiesel.
In spite of human rights violations and the ecological damage caused
by oil palm plantations, the issue has not yet been placed on the
national public agenda or debate in Guatemala. Negative impacts
presently being generated are: loss of land for agriculture, forced
land purchase, displacement and forced migration towards protected
areas, where these communities are pinpointed as “invaders” and
accused of destroying the natural heritage. The causes and the origin
of this action are never mentioned. The abusive use of water sources
and competition over water between the vast tracts of oil palm and
sugar cane and the rural communities are additional impacts.
In many places, forests and natural ecosystems have already been
destroyed for the production of oils and sugar, transforming them
into monoculture plantations. This causes considerable negative
repercussions on nature, ecosystem connectivity and on people.
With agro-industrial activities and plantations our country loses
much more than biodiversity. It loses the possibility of providing
fairer and more decent living conditions to present and future generations.
By Carlos Salvatierra, SAVIA / Guatemala, e-mail:
salvatierraleal@gmail.com, with information
quoted and contained in Action Aid’s document “Las Plantaciones
para Agrocombustibles y la pérdida de tierras para la producción
de alimentos en Guatemala” (Plantations for Agrofuels and the loss
of land for food production in Guatemala).
*Includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
