 From
the pine and spruce forests of the Canadian Boreal, to the
tropical rainforests of Indonesia, there are people who rely on
forests to support a traditional means of sustenance, spiritual
connection, and economic development. Forests are used for
lumber and commerce, gathering food and medicine, and for
hunting and trapping.
In Indonesia, entire villages have been forced from their
land, often with armed police or military officials present.
This occurs despite the fact the Indonesia constitution
specifically acknowledges the rights of indigenous communities.
Protests on the part of villagers have been repressed violently,
and in some cases community leaders have been jailed. Often
single species tree plantations are established in areas where
the forest has been cleared. With their source of food and
income destroyed, villagers often have little choice but to work
for the plantations at exploitive wages.
Though thousands of miles away, the people of the Grassy
Narrows First Nation are feeling similar pressures. The Grassy
Narrows First Nation has treaties with the Canadian government
allowing them rights to their traditional lands. Unfortunately
these treaties have not been enforced and more than 50% of their
traditional land area has been negatively transformed—impacting
trap lines and the people who rely on them to for their
livelihood.
The human impacts of the paper industry in the Canadian Boreal,
Indonesia, and other locations are well documented. Please see
the reports and articles below for more information.
Factsheet:
Social Impacts of the Paper Industry A factsheet developed
by the Environmental Paper Network highlighting the social
impacts of the pulp and paper industry around the world.
Banks Pulp and People An In depth look at the pulp and paper industry, its social and
environmental impacts around the world and the role banks play
in financing and encouraging unsustainable practices.
Without Remedy: Human Rights Watch Report A detailed
report on the human rights abuses that have occurred in Indonesia as a
result of corrupt practices in the country’s pulp and paper
industry.
Profile of the Grassy Narrows First Nation Profile of the
Grassy Narrows First Nation, and the impacts that logging for
paper on their traditional lands has had on their way of life.
Indonesia Under Pressure
A report developed by the Green Press Initiative illustrating
the environmental and social impacts that occur in Indonesia as
a result of printing books in, or sourcing newsprint from Asia.
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