Swaziland: The myth of sustainable timber plantations

By Wally Menne and Ricardo Carrere - March 2007

 

Although Swaziland is not a very well known country, many foresters not only know about its existence but are even able to use it as an example of sustainable” plantation forestry. The person responsible for this is Professor Julian Evans – an English forester – who has for years been promoting the view that the Sappi Usutu Pulp Company’s pine plantations in that country are sustainable”, both through research publications and public presentations at international events. Swaziland has thus appeared to be an exception within a context of research findings in many other countries proving that this type of plantations is socially and environmentally unsustainable. WRM therefore decided to carry out research in Swaziland, which demonstrated that the impacts of plantations in Swaziland were as negative as elsewhere.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1.
Unveiling the myth of sustainable plantations in Swaziland

Chapter 2.
The impacts of tree plantations and pulp production

Land appropriation and displacement

Plantation history

The socio-economic impacts of plantations

• The country's basic resources in corporate hands
• Exporting logs and importing food
• The type of employment provided by plantations

The environmental impacts

• The water issue
• Water and air pollution
• Impacts on biodiversity and invasive species
• Impacts on soils
• The issue of certification

Chapter 3.
Not an exception to the rule

References