Plantations, poverty and power - Critical Information Collective

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99 loan for the second plantations project after the Lao government declined to agree to the Bank’s loan conditions. The ADB’s proposed new forest policy Given this record, we might welcome the fact that the ADB is working on a new forest policy to replace its 1995 policy. A new forest policy might help to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities living in and near forests. It might help to prevent ADB-financed roads, dams and mines from destroying forests and livelihoods. A new forest policy might help to prevent the destruction of forests and commons to make way for industrial tree plantations. It could also create the possibility of an open discussion about its forestry sector lending. In fact, in its forest policy review, the Bank has failed to achieve any of these things. The Bank started working on the new policy in 2000, aiming to complete the policy by 2002. Eight years later, the Bank has failed to produce a new forest policy. The only version of the draft policy available to the public is dated June 2003 and this version was rejected by the Bank’s board in July 2003. Since that time, the preparation of the proposed forest policy has taken place in secret, behind the Bank’s closed doors. On several occasions, Bank staff and the Bank’s website have promised that new a draft would be released, but none has seen the light of day. In January 2008, the ADB’s Senior Public Information and Disclosure Coordination Assistant, Robert Paul S. Mamonong, promised that a “draft synthesis report is being revised and is expected to be ready by April 2008.” 504 April came and went, without any sign of the “Synthesis Report”. ADB’s website continued to promise that the report would be released in November 2007, until 19 September 2008, when it was updated. The synthesis report is now expected in the fourth quarter of 2008. 505 Bank staff have declined to answer repeated requests from civil society for information about the discussions taking place within the Bank about the Forest Policy. While discussions may (or may not) have moved on within the Bank during the last four years, the 2003 draft version is all we have to judge what the ADB’s new policy might look like. It is not reassuring. It promotes tree plantations. An objective of the new forest policy is to: “increase the extent and productivity of plantations and trees on farms to increase wood supply and rural employment opportunities.” 506 The Bank, of course, provides no information to prove that plantations provide rural employment. In 2002, the ADB’s forestry specialist, Javed H. Mir, gave a presentation on the Bank’s Regional Study on Forest Policy and Institutional Reforms. He answered his own question, “What not to do” with “Not to repeat mistakes.” 507 Following his advice would mark a dramatic break with history for the ADB. The ADB, it seems, is determined to continue repeating its mistakes. 504 Email from Robert Paul S. Mamonong (Sr. Public Information & Disclosure Coordination Asst., Public Information and Disclosure Unit) Asian Development Bank, 17 January 2008. 505 “Regional Study on Forest Policy and Institutional Reforms”, Asian Development Bank. http://www.adb.org/projects/forestpolicy/ 506 “Forest Policy (Working Paper)“, Asian Development Bank, June 2003, page 3. http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Forest_Policy/working_paper_fp.pdf 507 Javed Mir (2002) “Presentation of Proposed ADB Forest Sector Strategic Framework”, presentation at Regional
100 Instead of continuing to promote problems, the ADB should stop financing industrial tree plantations. Study on Forest Policy and Institutional Reforms. Regional Workshop on Review of ADB Forest Policy, ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines, 14-15 February 2002. http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2002/ForestryStrategy/FSSF_Mir.pdf I’m deliberately ignoring the double-negative in Mir’s statement. I’m sure that Mir isn’t really suggesting that the Bank should continue to repeat its mistakes.
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1 Plantations, poverty and power: E
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3 CONTENTS Introduction 1. Plantati
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5 New investors have emerged recent
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7 1. Plantations do not plant thems
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9 plantations established on grassl
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11 Nations Food and Agriculture Org
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13 Another reason for the move to t
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15 In his book, “Khor Jor Kor, Fo
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17 Between 1991 and 2006, the numbe
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19 are asking for”, notes WWF. 60
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21 consume fewer goods. Less advert
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23 credit crunch, unstable oil pric
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25 Investment in plantations in the
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27 possible price. Subsidies, linke
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29 2. The anatomy of five pulp proj
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31 However, while the Bank confirme
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33 make way for its tree plantation
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35 In April 2004, about 2,000 famil
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37 Sappi, Swaziland: 50 years of in
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39 after an assessment by the Soil
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41 impact of the plantations on wat
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43 Advance Agro, Thailand: Deforest
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45 confiscation and liquidation of
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47 management was facing a bankrupt
Page 50 and 51: 49 Indah Kiat, Asia Pulp and Paper,
Page 52 and 53: 51 company owners want profits to b
Page 54 and 55: 53 • US$4.5 billion owed by APP i
Page 56 and 57: 55 explained that “association wi
Page 58 and 59: 57 Indah Kiat faces a series of lan
Page 60 and 61: 59 logging. While the investigation
Page 62 and 63: 61 experimental areas and not from
Page 64 and 65: 63 Staples and Office Depot in the
Page 66 and 67: 65 “the exhaustive studies have c
Page 68 and 69: 67 CEDHA has also filed complaints
Page 70 and 71: 69 of converting grasslands to indu
Page 72 and 73: 71 3. Pulp Inc. Profiles of seven p
Page 74 and 75: 73 Thailand, a power plant for a Ne
Page 76 and 77: 75 Management’s experts the possi
Page 78 and 79: 77 A year after Aracruz’s third p
Page 80 and 81: 79 In January 2003, Pöyry announce
Page 82 and 83: 81 Bank in the early 1990s. Groome
Page 84 and 85: 83 Pöyry’s role in the Baikal Pu
Page 86 and 87: 85 Under carbon financing, Pöyry o
Page 88 and 89: 87 Pöyry is working on second gene
Page 90 and 91: 89 The Confederation of European Pa
Page 92 and 93: 91 CEPI Eurokraft states that “it
Page 94 and 95: 93 sectors need to reduce by 21% co
Page 96 and 97: 95 The ADB’s report notes that th
Page 98 and 99: 97 Nepal In Nepal, the target area
Page 102 and 103: 101 International Finance Corporati
Page 104 and 105: 103 •In December 2000, IFC approv
Page 106 and 107: 105 firm’s activities. After his
Page 108 and 109: 107 safeguards are in practice.
Page 110 and 111: 109 Bank projects are approved by a
Page 112 and 113: 111 •€80 million to Portucel to
Page 114 and 115: 113 The Food and Agriculture Organi
Page 116 and 117: 115 Nevertheless, Poore and Fries n
Page 118 and 119: 117 failure to define industrial tr
Page 120 and 121: 119 FAO’s guidelines recommend th
Page 122 and 123: 121 Rosengren did not reply to my e
Page 124 and 125: 123 Forest Stewardship Council: Mis
Page 126 and 127: 125 body that rubber stamps operati
Page 128 and 129: 127 Criterion 1.6, for example, sta
Page 130 and 131: 129 fast wood plantations have take
Page 132 and 133: 131 Principle 10.8 should prevent t
Page 134 and 135: 133 By April 2004, FSC had, at last
Page 136 and 137: 135 plantations, because it creates
Page 138 and 139: 137 integrated set of common Princi
Page 140 and 141: 139 for clearing areas of Atlantic
Page 142 and 143: 141 Colombia were certified by SGS.
Page 144 and 145: 143 The dissociation became necessa
Page 146 and 147: 145 4. Future planned pulp mills As
Page 148 and 149: 147 Planned pulp projects: 698 Comp
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149 UPM and Sveza Group Vologda Rus
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151 paper industry along ecological
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