Case Studies

An industrial rubber project in Cameroon is now being condemned for causing the largest single rainforest destruction in Central Africa, according to Rainforest Foundation UK.  In a statement released in November 2018, the representatives from 21 surrounding villages denounced the effects of the Sud-Cameroun Hevea (Sudcam) project on the rights and livelihoods. Established in 2008, Sudcam was granted nearly 60,000 hectares of forest without conducting an environmental impact assessment or consulting the numerous communities affected. Such extensive land clearing has severely affected local and indigenous Baka communities. Approximately 30 communities rely on the area granted to Sudcam for hunting, fishing, farming, and collecting forest products. Large-scale rainforest destruction in the area therefore poses a significant threat to local livelihoods. In addition, in 2015, three indigenous Baka communities living in the forest were forcibly evicted to make way for the plantation. Around 120 people were forced to seek shelter in neighbouring Bantu villages, where they now live in poor conditions and face severe discrimination and human rights abuses. To date, none of these individuals have received any compensation for their lost livelihoods. 

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon, rubber, primary production, Indigenous rights violations, land grabbing, deforestation

Sources:  https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/cameroon-communities-speak-out-about-impacts-of-large-rubber-plantation/ 

According to the BFT Online, Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) suffered a loss of approximately €100,000 in July 2023 due to the destruction of over 19,000 rubber trees on 40 hectares at Gyabengkrom in the Ahanta West Municipality. These trees, planted a year prior to the incident on state land, were meant to replace old ones. However, large-scale damages were discovered during routine checks by the Plantation Development Manager. During the incident, security was present but unable to cover the entire large plantation. A similar incident in 2022 saw 20,000 hectares destroyed without identifying the perpetrators. GREL’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Perry Acheampong, stressed the economic impact and called for the prosecution of those responsible. In addition, the Association of Chiefs on Whose Land GREL Operates (ACLANGO) condemned the vandalism, labelling the acts as barbaric and criminal. Their statement highlighted a troubling trend of illegal land takeovers under the guise of community expansion and “galamsey” (illegal mining). They called for immediate and thorough action by the Ghana Police Service to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the culprits, regardless of their status, to protect investor confidence and maintain peaceful co-existence between GREL and local communities. 

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana, rubber, primary production, land grabbing, illegal mining

Sources:  https://thebftonline.com/2023/07/11/grel-loses-about-e100000-on-destruction-of-rubber-trees-in-the-w-region/  

Approximately 360,000 children, or 33% of those aged between 5 and 15, work in Liberia, primarily in agriculture. A significant number are engaged in the production of rubber on smallholder farms and large-scale plantations, often in dangerous conditions and at the expense of their education. According to the United States Department of Labour, major contributing factors to child labour in Liberia’s rubber sector include household poverty, the existence of worker quota production systems, the high cost of adult labour, a lack of awareness, limited access to education, and limited inspection and enforcement of labour standards.

The “Actions to Reduce Child Labor (ARCH)” project was implemented in Liberia from December 2012 to April 2017. The project targeted 10,100 children engaged in or at risk of entering exploitative child labour in Liberia, with a focus on the rubber sector. In addition, the project targeted 3,700 vulnerable households for sustainable livelihoods promotion. The project operated in the counties of Montserrado, Margibi, and Nimba. By the end of the project in March 2017, it had provided education services to 10,126 children and livelihood services to 3,700 households.

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Liberia, rubber, primary production, labour rights violations, child labour

Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/actions-reduce-child-labor-arch-areas-rubber-production#:~:text=Approximately%20360%2C000%20children%20between%20the,farms%20and%20large%2Dscale%20plantations.

A report by The Vibes explains how Seputeh MP Teresa Kok raised concerns about alleged improprieties in the proposed sale and lease of land owned by the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB). Kok, the predecessor of the current Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Khairuddin Aman Razali, criticised the lifting of a moratorium on the sale and development of MRB real estate, which she had imposed. The alleged lifting of this moratorium by Datuk Khairuddin Aman Razali, without proper justification, raises questions about the legality and motivation behind this action. Indeed, the sale and lease of these lands appears suspicious, since both transactions value the land below market value. This substantial undervaluation could be seen as potentially causing financial loss to the state for private gain, by selling public assets at undervalued prices. This also raises concerns about the potential for corruption. The involvement of a foundation related to PAS, the Islamic political party in Malaysia, and the below-market rates suggest possible favouritism or cronyism, where decisions may be being made to benefit certain individuals. In addition, the transactions allegedly bypassed required approvals and proper procedures. The absence of such approvals and the subsequent denials by MRB point to a lack of transparency and accountability. 

Keywords: South East Asia & Pacific, Malaysia, timber, procurement of permits, corruption and bribery

Sources: https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/29013/khairuddin-must-explain-sale-of-rubber-board-land-below-market-price-kok 

In southeastern Myanmar, rubber production has been linked with conflict financing, according to a 2020 report by Forest Policy Trade and Finance Initiative. Particularly in the Tanintharyi Region, rubber has been used to finance long-standing ethnic conflicts involving various rebel groups and the national military (the Tatmadaw). Indeed, Mon businessmen, who are often the former commanders of the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), have used their connections to establish rubber plantations in northern Tanintharyi. The expansion of rubber plantations by these businessmen, backed by the NMSP, effectively finances the rebel group by providing economic resources and territorial control. The establishment of rubber plantations on lands designated as ‘wastelands’ or ‘vacant lands’ by the government allows Mon businessmen to gain official land use rights. However, this process disenfranchises Karen communities, who previously inhabited these lands before being displaced by the Tatmadaw, and finances the ongoing conflict.  

Keywords: South East Asia & Pacific, Myanmar, rubber, primary production, terrorist and conflict financing

Sources:  https://www.forest-trends.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MN_Conflict_Rubber_FINAL-1.pdf 

A Global Witness investigation has revealed that a rubber plantation on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), controlled by Malaysian-owned Maxland Limited, is likely a front for illegal logging. As a result, the logging operations carried out by this company have had devastating effects on the island's biodiversity. Maxland's permits for timber exploitation on the island are allegedly unlawfully obtained, breaching numerous PNG Forestry Act sections. This has created allegations of bribery surrounding Maxland’s rubber project. In addition, Maxland had promised Indigenous locals economic benefits from the plantation, such as  new infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and employment, which failed to materialise. Evidence suggests that the company instead has exploited the valuable local tropical hardwoods, regardless of the environmental destruction this may cause. The project has sparked conflicts amongst the local community due to its subsequent environmental degradation and its creation of social issues, which have disproportionately impacted women and led to violence and protest. 

Keywords: South East Asia & Pacific, Papua New Guinea, rubber, timber, primary production, illegal logging, environmental crime, corruption and bribery

Sources:  https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/bending-the-truth/