Why did you recently spend three weeks in the southwest of Cameroon?
Greenpeace supports the research of the Dschang University, which is studying the biodiversity in an area of 73,000 hectares that could be converted into a palm oil plantation by the American agro-industrial company Herakles Farms. The company claims that the territory has no distinct ecological value because it mainly consists of degraded forests and farmland.

But you refute this claim?
Our research shows that the largely intact forests provide crucial habitats for endangered animals. As we experienced, it is difficult for people to travel through this densely forested and hilly territory. Chimpanzees and other primates, however, thrive under the local conditions. We found about 20 nests made by a species of chimpanzee that only lives in this region. This part of the rainforest is also home to other endangered species such as the baboon-like drills, forest elephants and fish species, which only live there.

What does the project mean for the inhabitants of the area?
The forest provides a home and livelihood for about 20,000 people in the area. The people still live off the trees and herbs in addition to farming and hunting. Their way of life is threatened if Herakles Farms continues its development. Furthermore, the residents have not had adequate consultation over the fate of their land. Herakles Farms has just negotiated with a few of the local chiefs, without involving the whole population.

On its website, Herakles Farms states its commitment to economic and environmental sustainability.
But there have been earlier reports on illegal logging and corruption. The company is also not a member of the international Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Still, because of the economic advantages, the government of Cameroon is inclined to let the company have its way. We hope our study convinces the government to reconsider. On a larger scale, we are concerned about the increasing interest by agro-industrial companies in African land. It should be possible to increase productivity on current plantations instead of developing more land.