Seeds of Destruction - Rainforest Foundation UK

CONTENTS
KEY MESSAGES 5
Confirmed and potential oil palm developments in the Congo Basin 6 - 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8 - 10
Box1: Pygmies’ & Bantus – the people of the Congo Basin rainforest 10
SECTION 1: Background on oil palm and palm oil 11 - 12
Box 2: Who owns the Congo Basin rainforest? 12
SECTION 2: OIL PALM IN THE CONGO BASIN: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 13 - 21
& FUTURE POTENTIAL
2.1 Historic & current extent of development 13
2.2 Planned expansion 15
SECTION 3: CASE STUDIES OF NEW OIL PALM DEVELOPMENTS 22 - 44
iN THE CONGO BASIN
3.1 Atama Plantation (Republic of Congo) 24 - 31
3.2 Olam (Gabon) 32 - 38
3.3 Herakles/SGSOC (Cameroon) 39 - 43
3.4 Conclusions from case studies 44
SECTION 4: POTENTIAL SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 45 - 54
OF OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONGO BASIN
4.1 Environmental impacts 46 - 47
4.2 Social impacts 48 - 50
4.3 Attempts to address the negative impacts of oil palm 51 - 53
Box 3: Challenges of smallholder / out-grower palm oil schemes 54
SECTION 5: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 55 - 59
5.1 Conclusions 55
5.2 Recommendations 56 - 59
ANNEX 1: SUMMARY INFORMATION ON KNOWN OIL PALM EXPANSION PROJECTS IN THE CONGO BASIN 60
ANNEX 2: FREE, PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC) AND CONSULTATION 63
acronyms 64
references 65
This report is based on research by Earthsight Investigations on behalf of Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK).
Earthsight specialises in using in-depth research, investigations, undercover work and filming to document
environmental and social crime and injustice. The conclusions and recommendations and any views
expressed within the report are those of RFUK only.
www.earthsight.org.uk
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