Women raise their voices against tree plantations

The report argues that EU consumption and trade policies drive the expansion of monoculture tree plantations in the Global South, which disproportionately harms women by destroying their livelihoods, health, and cultural identities. Through case studies in Nigeria (rubber), Papua New Guinea (oil palm), and Brazil (eucalyptus), the document details the loss of food sovereignty, the erosion of traditional medicinal knowledge, and the increase in gender-based violence and economic dependency. It highlights that while these projects are often framed as 'development,' they frequently result in land theft and environmental degradation. The report concludes by documenting the emergence of women-led resistance movements fighting for land return and food sovereignty.

• The European Union's trade policies, specifically 'Global Europe: Competing in the World,' are criticized for prioritizing the interests of European corporations and neoliberal growth over climate change, poverty reduction, and social cohesion.
• In Nigeria, the France-based company Michelin converted over 3,500 hectares of the Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve into rubber plantations in 2007 without community consent or an Environmental Impact Assessment, destroying the primary source of livelihood for 85% of the forest-dependent population.
• The rubber plantations in Nigeria have specifically disempowered women by destroying the farmlands they use to provide for their families, forcing some to become laborers on other farms and others into jobless poverty.
• In Papua New Guinea, the 'Nucleus Estate Smallholder Scheme' for oil palm, promoted by the World Bank, IMF, and Asian Development Bank, is described as a 'large scale plantation model in disguise' that uses smallholders as cheap labor for corporate profit.
• Oil palm expansion in Papua New Guinea has compromised food sovereignty by replacing diverse 'gardens' with monocultures, leading to nutritional deficiencies and a dependency on low-quality store-bought foods.
• The use of agrotoxics in Papua New Guinea's oil palm plantations is linked to severe health issues, including reports of babies developing asthma shortly after birth.
• In Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, the expansion of eucalyptus plantations by companies like Stora Enso, Aracruz Celulose, and Votorantim has led to the loss of cultural identity and the destruction of traditional medicinal plant gathering, such as Macela.
• The pulp industry in Brazil has caused significant environmental degradation, including water shortages and the loss of land productivity for food crops like onions, sweet potato, and manioc.
• The arrival of forestry workers in Brazil has increased insecurity for women, leading to reports of sexual harassment and a limitation on their freedom of movement.
• Women in Brazil have led aggressive resistance strategies against agribusiness, including the 2006 occupation and destruction of an Aracruz Celulose seedling nursery and the 2008 occupation of Stora Enso's Taruma ranch.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2009). Women raise their voices against tree plantations. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Informe-completo-final.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Women raise their voices against tree plantations. 2009. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Informe-completo-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Women raise their voices against tree plantations |date=March 2009 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Informe-completo-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2009women, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Women raise their voices against tree plantations}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Informe-completo-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }