Protect the Ancient Rainforests of Cameroon

Protect the Ancient Rainforests of Cameroon posted: 13 November, 2012 Cameroon Rainforest to be Destroyed  Herakles Farms, a New York-based agribusiness corporation, is preparing to destroy 75,000 hectares (over 185,000 acres) of tropical rainforest in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Once the rainforest is gone, Herakles plans to plant a massive palm oil plantation and build a palm oil refinery in its place.   This Cameroonian rainforest is known for its rich biodiversity and ecological importance. The proposed plantation is situated between five protected areas, including world-renowned Korup National Park. It provides a key wildlife corridor between the various preserves. Cutting down the trees and replacing them with a sea of monocropped oil palm will rip the heart out of the forest. Many animal species will be pushed to the brink of extinction.   Death to Endangered Species  Herakles Farms, and its Cameroon based subsidiary SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC), falsely tout the project as environmentally sustainable. They claim it will “safeguard" the incredible biodiversity of this part of the world. This is a lie.   The region is home to some of the most threatened primate species in the world, such as the endangered chimpanzee, drill monkey, and the critically endangered Preuss’s monkey and the Preuss’s red colobus monkey. Destroying these primates' essential habitat will not safeguard their continued existence, but rather ensure their demise.   Forest elephants also make extensive use of the area to move between Korup National Park and the Rumpi Hills Forest Reserve. If the oil palm plantation proceeds as planned, the two refuges will be almost completely isolated from each other and the impact on elephants will be severe.    Bad for Climate  Herakles claims that this oil palm plantation will decrease CO2 emissions. This is another lie. Scientists report that oil palm plantations store less than one tenth of the carbon stored by an intact rainforest. Replacing a rainforest with a oil palm plantation is not conservation. It is exploitation masquerading as conversation.    Bad for Humans  The “incredible biodiversity” of the area is not limited to wildlife: approximately 45,000 indigenous people from 88 small, rural villages will also be impacted by oil palm development. Most of these villagers rely on small-scale farming and forest resources to survive. If the land is swallowed by the planned plantation, the villagers’ source of food will disappear as well. The influx of new workers into the region will add additional pressure on limited food supplies.    Many rainforests in Southeast Asia have already been destroyed by oil palm plantations. Studies of them have shown that these plantations do little to alleviate poverty. In fact, workers’ living conditions are often poor, and wages are exploitatively low. Herakles Farms has provided no reason to believe that the same degradation of life will not be true in Africa.    Indigenous Rights vs. Corporations  Local villagers facing the loss of their hereditary forests, villages, and food, understand the risks this plantation poses. Over the last several years they have organized to stop the logging and preserve their land — but the villagers are pitted against a powerful corporation intent on exploiting their land and resources.   EarthAction has joined with several international organizations to help protect this forest and the rights of these indigenous peoples. The UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a UN treaty that Cameroon has ratified, ensures that Cameroon’s local indigenous people have “free, prior, and informed consent” regarding development projects in their homelands. As a party to this treaty, the government of Cameroon must be held responsible to its legal commitment.    Take Action: #StopHerakles   Highest Priority:   1. Send a personal message by email, or post, to Bruce Wrobel, the CEO of Herakles Farms. Ask him to take all necessary measures to stop their destruction of this tropical rainforest in the southwest region of Cameroon. Email sustainability@heraklesfarms.org now.   Click here to read a sample letter and find out how you can make a bigger impact.   2. Contact President Paul Biya of Cameroon, by email or post, and ask him to listen to the voices of the Cameroonian people and immediately stop Herakles Farms’ project for this palm oil plantation.  http://www.prc.cm/index_en.php?link=messenger/write_pr   Do ​more:   1. Support our efforts by donating to help save this forest. We'll make sure your contribution goes toward protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and endangered wildlife in Cameroon.   2. Spread the word by sharing this campaign with your networks. Tweet #StopHerakles or Share on Facebook. The louder our message, the better.   2. Let us know you took part in this crucial global campaign to Stop Herakles Farms by replying to this email or emailing contact@earthaction.org. We will let you know what happens as a result of our combined actions.   More Resources   EarthAction Cameroon Campaign Home Page http://www.earthaction.org/stop-herakles-protect-the-ancient-rainforests-of-cameroon.html   September 12, 2011: Yale e360 - Huge Oil Palm Plantation Puts African Rainforest at Risk http://e360.yale.edu/feature/huge_oil_palm_plantation_puts_africa_rainforest_at_risk/2441/   September 13, 2011: Expanded Yale article: Palm oil, poverty, and conservation collide in Cameroon http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0914-hance-butler_herakles_cameroon.html   September 5 2012: Herakles Farm leaves RSPO http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0905-herakles-leaves-rspo.htmlwith U s     Forward this email to a friend!  Donate to EarthAction     EarthAction, launched in 1992 at the Earth Summit, is a global network of thousands of groups and individuals in over 165 countries working together for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.   www.EarthAction.org     Send your ideas for Action Alerts to: contact@earthaction.org