Press Release
March 21, 2017
FAO definition must recognize that plantations are not forests!
Action alerts
Dear friends,
March 21st, the International Day of Forests, is around the corner! As you may recall, on that day we will be sending a letter to the FAO demanding again that it changes its forest definition which allows an industrial tree monoculture to be considered a forest.
On September 30, a petition was delivered with 12,323 signatures from several national and international organisations, as well as from individuals, in solidarity with and support to the communities in Mozambique that struggle against the expansion of tree monoculture plantations. The petition has been submitted to the companies Green Resources in Norway and Portucel/The Navigator Company in Portugal, as well as to governmental institutions in Mozambique including the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Dear Friends,
Today, September 21st, marks the International Day of Struggle Against Tree Plantations.
On this day, as part of the actions happening internationally, WRM along with the organizations Salva la Selva and TimberWatch are launching an Open Letter to the FAO.
This open letter, calling on the FAO to revise its forest definition, will be sent to the FAO next March 21 when the International day of Forests is commemorated.
If your organization has not yet signed, we invite you to support the letter. Please send an email to fao2017@wrm.org.uy and include your organization’s name and country.
Signatures as of March 16, 2017
WRM together with the All India Forum of Forest Movements, and the Campaign for Survival and Dignity are mobilizing against the CAF Act (also known as the CAMPA Bill). This new Bill was recently approved by the Indian parliament. We apprehend it will result in gross violations of forest dwelling communities’ rights and in a massive expansion of industrial tree plantations.
updated on September 22
Last week we asked your support for communities in Mozambique who are facing rapid expansion of timber monoculture plantations in their territories.
This message is to inform you that this Action Alert will continue open for sign-on´s until September 29. If you haven’t sent your endorsement yet, please do so!
The aviation sector is the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gas emittor and one of the most polluting sectors. Nevertheless, no real solutions to address this climate problem are put forward so far. Instead, the aviation industry is planning to greenwash their growth strategy.
Dear friends, we ask for your support.
Our colleagues from the No2Bidco Campaign in Uganda and Kenya have contacted us to request support for their struggle against Bidco Africa. This multinational company -in a joint venture with Wilmar International- owns among others, the OPUL oil palm plantation and a palm oil refinery on the Lake Victoria island of Bugala, Uganda.
To all organizations, social and popular movements and to the civil society of the world: