Soap, lipsticks, chocolate or perfumes are difficult to perceive as products associated to deforestation and human rights abuses in the tropics. However, this can easily be the case when one of their components is palm oil, though few people outside the plantation areas are aware about this.
The first aim of this book is thus to highlight the impacts associated with large-scale oil palm plantations by providing a general overview of the problem and a broad range of country-level situations, ranging from articles to detailed case studies in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
However, the book's main objective is to generate broader support --South and North-- to local people struggling to protect their forests and lands against the spread of this new invasion. In most tropical countries oil palm plantations are only in their initial stage and it is therefore still possible to prevent their implementation; in other countries it is necessary to halt their further spread. Much more research, information-sharing, campaigning and networking is needed to achieve those objectives and we sincerely hope that this book will serve as a useful tool for that purpose.
To request a copy of the book please contact: wrm@wrm.org.uy including name, organization, country and postal address. Non profit NGOs from the South can ask for a free copy of the book. For other organizations or institutions its cost is U$S 20 (shipment included).
