Plantations, poverty and power - Critical Information Collective

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115 Nevertheless, Poore and Fries note that “There is evidence from the humid tropics, however, that young, rapidly growing eucalypt plantations consume more water and regulate flow less well than natural forests.” They also found that “Eucalypts are often planted where there have been no trees before. Under these circumstances, the water yield of catchments is reduced and water-tables are drawn down. The effect is greatest when trees are young and growing rapidly.” But rather than asking local people whether they wanted industrial tree plantations on their land, or asking them how they would prefer to use their land, Poore and Fries conclude that “Other tree genera would probably produce comparable effects.”595 According to the FAO, its seems, the need to plant fast growing trees is not negotiable. Poore and Fries use a similar argument regarding the impact on soils. They note the impact of eucalyptus plantations on soils, but conclude that other species are as bad and in any case fertilizer can be used: “The cropping of eucalypts on short rotation, especially if the whole biomass is taken, leads to rapid depletion of the reserve of nutrients in the soil. This is a direct consequence of their rapid growth; it would apply in much the same way to any other highly productive crop, and is also closely associated with length of rotation. There is some evidence that the removal of nutrients in comparable crops of pine is greater. In each instance, calculations of nutrient cost should be made and fertilizer treatment decided accordingly.”596 Interestingly, the report does differentiate between forests and plantations: “forests produce more diversity than plantations of indigenous species, which in turn produce more diversity than plantations of exotics.”597 This differentiation has not been taken up by the FAO, which still insists on describing industrial tree plantations as “planted forests”. Having documented the impacts of eucalyptus plantations, Poore and Fries conclude that, “there can be no universal answer, either favourable or unfavourable, to the question of planting eucalypts. Nor should there be any universal answer: each case should be examined on its individual merits. It is difficult to see how further general research, however detailed, can alter this conclusion.”598 The authors recommend that before eucalyptus plantations are established, “careful and intelligent assessment of the social and economic consequences” should be carried out. “This can probably best be done,” they explain, “by a sympathetic examination of the ecological circumstances and needs of local people, assisted by an understanding of the results of the fundamental research on water, nutrients, etc. referred to in this article.”599 http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful 595 “Are eucalypts ecologically harmful”, Unasylva, Vol. 38 No. 152, 1986. http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful 596 “Are eucalypts ecologically harmful”, Unasylva, Vol. 38 No. 152, 1986. http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful 597 “Are eucalypts ecologically harmful”, Unasylva, Vol. 38 No. 152, 1986. http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful 598 “Are eucalypts ecologically harmful”, Unasylva, Vol. 38 No. 152, 1986. http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful 599 “Are eucalypts ecologically harmful”, Unasylva, Vol. 38 No. 152, 1986. http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7750E/r7750e03.htm#are%20eucalypts%20ecologically%20harmful
116 While this sounds good, FAO’s underlying bias in favour of industrial tree plantations precludes any such “sympathetic examination”. FAO’s support for plantations has developed and adapted over the years, but the bias in favour of plantations (and against local people) remains. The latest manifestation of FAO’s support for plantations is its voluntary guidelines for “Responsible management of planted forests [sic]”.600 FAO started to work on a code on planted forests in 2004. This resulted in a series of voluntary guidelines, produced in 2006. The bias inherent in the process is revealed from the start. On the front cover of the guidelines is an aerial view of Veracel’s plantations in Brazil. The regimented rows of eucalyptus are contrasted by patches of native forest, where the trees are about half as high as the eucalyptus trees. Observers ignorant of the reality of Veracel’s plantations might conclude that it all looks green, well managed and productive. There is little hint of the impact on the people living there – or even that any people might have once lived here. The guidelines acknowledge that industrial tree plantations have created problems: “In the past, planted forests have not always lived up to their potential. Lack of knowledge, capacity and capability in providing enabling policies, laws, regulations, plans and technical support systems has rendered support for responsible planted forest management difficult. As a result, some planted forest investments have created land-use, social and environmental conflicts, as well as suboptimal performance in the areas of health, vitality, productivity and return on investment.”601 The words “in the past” are disingenuous, implying that companies may have made mistakes in the past, but do not do so today. FAO maintains that industrial tree plantations are a type of “planted forest”, which according to FAO refers to “Forest/other wooded land in which trees have been established through planting or seeding. Includes all stands established through planting or seeding of both native and introduced species.” FAO also uses another term, “plantation forest”, which is “a subset of planted forest”.602 The attempt to produce guidelines covering everything from trees planted in forests as part of a management system to industrial pulpwood plantations to plantations established to prevent desertification is inevitably doomed to failure. The motivations and actors driving the tree-planting, as well as the impacts on local people are completely different. To develop its “code for planted forests”, FAO set up a process of “multistakeholder consultations”. The aim of the process was ultimately to promote industrial tree plantations: “The intent has been to propose practical voluntary guidelines that, in particular, may promote planted forest investment and management across a wide range of situations – including to owners of small forest areas.”603 The problems of FAO’s 600 FAO (2006) “Responsible management of planted forests: voluntary guidelines”, Planted Forests and Trees Working Paper 37/E, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/j9256e/J9256E00.htm 601 FAO (2006) “Responsible management of planted forests: voluntary guidelines”, Planted Forests and Trees Working Paper 37/E, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, page iii. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/j9256e/J9256E00.htm 602 FAO (2006) “Responsible management of planted forests: voluntary guidelines”, Planted Forests and Trees Working Paper 37/E, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, page 6. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/j9256e/J9256E00.htm 603 FAO (2006) “Responsible management of planted forests: voluntary guidelines”, Planted Forests and Trees Working Paper 37/E, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, page 4. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/j9256e/J9256E00.htm
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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
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49 Indah Kiat, Asia Pulp and Paper,
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51 company owners want profits to b
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53 • US$4.5 billion owed by APP i
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55 explained that “association wi
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57 Indah Kiat faces a series of lan
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59 logging. While the investigation
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61 experimental areas and not from
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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 100 and 101: 99 loan for the second plantations
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 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
Page 150 and 151: 149 UPM and Sveza Group Vologda Rus
Page 152: 151 paper industry along ecological
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