Large-Scale Tree Plantations

Every time we visit an area covered with large scale monoculture tree plantations we find local people faced with the same or very similar problems. In Thailand and Chile, in Brazil or Venezuela. And each time we find foresters denying that those problems even exist.

Joint ventures of giant corporations created to carry out research in the tree biotechnology field are mushrooming as the global paper demand increases and tree plantations are regarded as possible carbon sinks by the Kyoto Protocol. Environmental groups -such as the recently formed GE-Free Forests (GEFF)- and representatives of the academic sector have already expressed their concern on the impacts of these "Terminator" or "Frankentrees" and this concern has even led to direct action (see WRM Bulletin 26).

On October 4th, Greenpeace called on wood product consumers to end their role in ancient forest destruction by not purchasing from companies involved in destructive logging in ancient forests. Greenpeace launched a global report, ‘Buying Destruction: a Greenpeace report for corporate consumers of forest products’, naming more than 150 companies producing or trading in forest products coming from ancient forests.

By Ricardo Carrere, WRM.

To millions of people across the world today, the pulp and paper industry is a growing problem. The chipping of native forests to provide raw material for the industry is being opposed bitterly by local people and environmentalists from Australia to Finland, and from Chile to Canada.

By Larry Lohmann Forest degradation is associated with the activities of loggers, timber consumers, paper companies, and multilateral agencies. Often overlooked is the role of a much lower-profile set of actors: forestry and engineering consultancy firms.

This book includes a selection of articles published in the World Rainforest Movement's (WRM) Bulletin on the issue of industrial tree plantations. Given that the aim of most monoculture tree plantations is to produce wood pulp, we have also included articles related to the pulp and paper industry. In many tropical countries, tree and oil palm plantations have similar impacts --which result in similar struggles-- and we have therefore also included articles on oil palm plantations.

Deforestation and forest degradation worldwide have been and are cause of concern. Rates of loss in tropical as well as in temperate and boreal areas are alarming. All tropical forests have suffered an increase in the rate of deforestation, while the few remaining primary temperate forests, as well as boreal forests are under severe threat.

Montevideo, June 1998 A call for action to defend forests and people against  large-scale tree monocrops

It is important to begin by highlighting the fact that to receive FSC certification, a plantation company needs to comply with all FSC's principles and not only with the principle concerning plantations specifically-- principle 10.

By Ricardo Carrere and Larry Lohmann This book, commissioned by the World Rainforest Movement at its meeting in Delhi in April 1994, has its origins in increasing concern among non-governmental organizations in the South over the spread of monoculture tree plantations. It is intended as a tool for all movements alarmed at the social, political and environmental effects of these plantations.