Safeguarding Indigenous lands in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
For generations, the Indigenous Dayak Simpakng of Mekar Raya village in West Kalimantan, have been managing trees and crops in a complex system known as Tembawang. They depend on Tembawang for their livelihoods. It is where they collect fruits, vegetables, and materials for weaving baskets. It is also where they get clean water from numerous springs. To them, the Tembawang area is sacred and needs to be protected as part of their life support system and culture.
Major palm oil company withdraws from anti-deforestation initiative
Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), one of the world’s largest palm oil producers, has withdrawn from the High Carbon Stock Approach Group, (HCSA Group). HCSA Group is a sustainability watchdog and standard-setting body that works to prevent deforestation.
RSPO loophole: Socfin excludes parts of plantations from certification
Palm oil producer Socfin systematically excludes parts of their plantations from certification. This way they do receive the RSPO certificate, while large parts of their plantations do not meet the environmental and social requirements, analysis by Milieudefensie shows.
Liberian palm oil plantation linked to violence and pollution
Harassment, violence, pollution and destruction of nature are the daily reality for people living at the Maryland Oil Palm Plantations in Liberia. International financiers like the Dutch development bank play a role in this, a new report shows.
Wilmar and financiers exposed to conflict palm oil in Liberia
Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) Liberia and Milieudefensie expose the ongoing social and environmental harms in Maryland Oil Palm Plantation (MOPP) in Liberia. Over the past year, two research missions and local forest monitors documented severe cases of criminalisation of community members, intimidation and violence, landgrabbing, pollution and destruction of valuable nature.
Letter to GVL: halt violence at Liberian palm oil plantation
On a palm oil plantation of Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) violence is committed against the Bellehful community. SDI Liberia and Milieudefensie request the palm oil company in a joint letter to immediately halt the abuses.
Camvert oil palm plantation threatens forests and wildlife
Milieudefensie and CED worked with researcher Geoff Griffiths to map deforestation and forest degradation in the Camvert oil palm plantation in Cameroon. This plantation is illegal and threatens valuable forests and wildlife.
Feminist forest frameworks – policy brief
Since the Netherlands is an actor with a strong history of gender advocacy in the EU and global policy arenas, WECF has conducted a feminist analysis of key forest and biodiversity policies, regulations, and strategies of the Dutch government. We found that most Dutch and EU policy documents are either entirely lacking a gender perspective or they are gender-sensitive, at most.
Indigenous youth of Guarayos now managing their own forests
The forests of Guarayos provide more than half of Bolivia’s wood supply. But this is threatened by overexploitation, while younger people have been leaving to find work elsewhere. This video shows how a programme supports indigenous youth to be more aware of the value of their forests, the economic opportunities available, and to build the needed skills to make the most of these. The result – more income for them and their communities, less migration, and improved sustainable governance of local forests.