IVORY COAST RAINFOREST IN JEOPARDY
photo credit: matwiemann
According to the recent news, a global consumer company, Unilever, is planning on clearing the Ivory Coast rainforest for growing palm, which will result in the extinction of three primates. Tanoe Swamps Forest is one of the last old-growth forests in the area and a safe haven for three endangered species of monkeys, Miss Waldron’s Red colobus, Geoffroy’s colobus and Diana roloway, as well as many species of plants.
The forest is home to previously widely hunted and thought to be extinct (pronounced extinct in 1998) Miss Waldron’s Red colobus (Piliocolobus waldronae), however in the early 2000s a fresh specimen was found there. The existence of this animal, along two other species and numerous plants is threatened by companies clearing the ancient forest for palm oil plantations. Despite international protests, the works began this 6,000 hectare forest and it they aren’t stopped, both the animals and the plants will definitely become extinct.
Unilever is one of the leading world companies producing food and personal care items and behind the scenes they are part of irresponsible companies like PALM-CI, which is the one that started clearing the Ivory Coat rainforest. Publicly, they claim to be a ‘responsible’ company and even told Greenpeace recently that they intend to only buy palm oil from sustainable sources. Unfortunately, regardless of their promises and public statements, they have not stopped purchasing palm oil grown on deforested land at the expanses of communities and numerous species of animals and plants that are closer to extinction with each passing day.
The predictions for the future of the Tanoe Swamp Forest are dire, since the government of Ivory Coast refused to protect it in spite of its extremely high biodiversity. All over West Africa the rainforest are being systematically destroyed and only 3-4 million hectares still remain (out of 50 million a century ago) and regrettably deforestation has accelerated since 2000.
Sadly companies like Unilever take advantage of Africa’s poverty and need for incoming business. This poses a serious threat not only to communities there but also all over the world since deforestation increases global warming, destroys soil, pollutes water supplies and threatens the existence of a number of animals and plants that are irreplaceable for the Earth’s biodiversity.
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