No Deforestation. No Peat. No Exploitation

Photo credit: Google

An aerial view of deforestation at Indonesia’s Sumatra island, August 5, 2010. Photo: Beawiharta

Zero deforestation in Indonesia: Pledges, politics and palm oil

by

PABLO PACHECO

Corporations and government share the goal of sustainable economic development but each faces its own challenges – so which rules should apply?

“No Deforestation. No Peat. No Exploitation”: The pledges echoing throughout the palm oil sector, as major consumer goods manufacturers and retailers seek to remove deforestation from supply chains, sound simple enough. But the commitments are highly complex, and major palm oil corporate groups along the value chain are struggling to clearly define and operationalize them.

And in the world’s largest producer of palm oil, Indonesia, which is planning to boost supply through the expansion of plantations into forest and peatland areas, these companies are facing public opposition from the national government.

Therefore, while simple in their aim, the zero deforestation commitments, and their associated sustainability goals, have divided the palm oil sector in terms of which rules to follow and whose rules to follow.

A POLEMIC CROP

The rapid expansion of oil palm plantations across Indonesia during the past decade—the crop now covers 10.5 million hectares—has been accompanied by fervent controversy.

Read the full article: CIFOR

 

Deforestation in Zambia

Photo credit: Zambian Eye

 

Desertification continues in Western province of Zambia

A Mongu Resident has expressed concern at the rate of desertification in Western province.  The Resident says tons of laden with rose wood timba logs have continue being taken away from the province a situation he says contravenes the international conventions on climate change.

Editor,

Please allow me yet another space to again show how both the Zambian government and the Barotse Royal Establishment have continued to ignore international conventions on climate change.

In the first week of December 2015, I did upload another picture of a 30 ton truck laden with rose wood timber logs from Barotseland and destined for “God knows”. I met that particular one at Nalusanga gate on the Mongu /Lusaka Road.

In these pictures today, I would like to show the world yet another truck laden with the same timber.

Read the story: Zambian Eye

Net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 percent

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World deforestation slows down as more forests are better managed

FAO publishes key findings of global forest resources assessment

The world’s forests continue to shrink as populations increase and forest land is converted to agriculture and other uses, but over the past 25 years the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 percent, FAO said in a report published today.

Some 129 million hectares of forest – an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa – have been lost since 1990, according to FAO’s most comprehensive forest review to date, The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015.

It noted however, that an increasing amount of forest areas have come under protection while more countries are improving forest management. This is often done through legislation and includes the measuring and monitoring of forest resources and a greater involvement of local communities in planning and in developing policies.

The FAO study covers 234 countries and territories and was presented at this week’s World Forestry Congress in Durban, South Africa.

Read the full article: FAO

Desertification in Haiti

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“You should have seen the top of these mountains 4 years ago. There were no trees, only few unwanted grasses. Now we can begin to see many changes in the landscape and the texture of the soil is less rocky. All of this because of HTRIP that helps us to produce more than 7,000 seedlings every year in our community tree nursery. HTRIP makes us believe in soil conservation and tree planting as the solution to many of our ecological problems”

— Charles Watson, HTRIP Leader in Drice, Verettes District

A Case Study of the Desertification of Haiti

by Johnson Williams

in Journal of Sustainable Development   ISSN 1913-9063 (Print)   ISSN 1913-9071 (Online)

Abstract

 

One of the largest Caribbean nations, Haiti has 27,720 Square kilometers of land. Less that 20% of the land under cultivation is appropriate for agriculture. Once covered by forest, this country has been heavily logged and now mostly deforested. The majority of the arable land is being farmed beyond their carrying capacity. The total area under agriculture production is 6 times greater than the estimated areas suitable for agriculture resulting in significant deterioration of the land. Although the national governments as well as other governments have made several attempts to combat desertification, few initiatives have been successful.

This research will: (1) review desertification, (2) assess the current state of desertification in Haiti and on the island of Hispaniola, (3) review the impact of internal and external programs designed to reverse the effects of desertification, (4) compare the indicators of desertification that exist on the island of Hispaniola, and (5) discuss the consequences of desertification for Haiti as well as proactive strategies for reversing the negative effects.

References on Desertification

Ahmad, Y.J. and M. Kassas. (1987). Desertification: Financial Support for the Biosphere. West Hartford, Conn.: Kumarian Press.

Conway, Dr. J. Jickling, J. Haiti Agroforestry Outreach Project Extension, (1987-90). Pan American Development Foundation.

Desertification Tables and Charts for Haiti. Retrieved from http://rainforest.mongabay.com/deforestation/Haiti.html Executive Summary Third National Report of the Republic of Haiti (2006), Retrieved from http://www.unccd.int/cop/reports/lac/national/2006/haiti-summary-eng.pdf

Reining, P. (1978). Handbook on Desertification Indicators. Washington, D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science.

J.F. Reynolds and D.M. Stafford Smith. (2004). “Global Desertification’s, Do Humans cause Deserts?”, Environmental Science and Policy, Volume 7, Issue 2, April 2004, pp.118-199.

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). (1984). General Assessment of Progress in the Implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, 1978-1984. GC-12/9.

 

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How to stop global supply chains causing deforestation ?

 Photo credit: Google

Photo: The Huffington Post

Africa: Supply Chain Policies Need Work to Save Forests – Think Tank

By Megan Rowling

Governments, companies and investors still have significant work to do if they are to stop global supply chains causing deforestation and worsening climate change, a tropical forest think tank said on Wednesday.

A new ranking of 250 companies, 150 investors and lenders, 50 countries and regions, and 50 other powerful players showed only a small minority have comprehensive policies in place to tackle the problem.

At the current rate of progress, international goals to end deforestation will not be met, the Global Canopy Programme (GCP) warned.

“Whilst some powerbrokers are leading the way in addressing global forest loss, many are failing to take the action required,” it said in a report on the “Forest 500” (www.forest500.org).

Over the last decade, growing global demand for food, animal feed and fuel has been responsible for more than half of deforestation in tropical and sub-tropical regions, according to the report.

Deforestation and changes in land use today cause more than 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, undermine water security and threaten the livelihoods of over 1 billion people worldwide, it added.

Progress on curbing tree losses and emissions has been made, including last year’s New York Declaration on Forests, signed by businesses, governments and indigenous peoples. It aims to cut natural forest loss in half by 2020 and end it by 2030.

Read the full article: allAfrica

See also: The Huffington Post