Cameroon Report

by Sandrine Lapuyade ⁱ

The Cameroon Forestry Company (CFC) is a subsidiary of the Thanry France group. CFC was established in 1990 and operates in Cameroon’s Eastern Province. Over the last five years, CFC has received numerous favours from the government in contravention of existing laws.

The granting of logging permits and the overriding of agreed regulations

The forestry permits which the CFC has profited from have been granted without the agreed regulations, as laid down in law, being followed. For example, four short-term logging permits were granted without the advice of a competent technical committee being sought. Similarly the allotted concession (UFA) permits 10-001, 10-002, 10-003 and 10-004 in the Yokadouma arrondissement were granted in 1996, in a decree actually signed by the President, without these having been put out to tender.

This latter concession, granted for 15 years, has the CFC operating within the framework of a final agreement, as opposed to a temporary agreement as is laid down in law and as is understood in several public administration practices. Under this final agreement, the company should have drawn up an inventory, a development plan and a five-year management plan within six months of signing the agreement. The management plan was not produced until 1999, and four years after the granting of the concession, the company has still not produced its five-year plan. In addition to this reprehensible behaviour, we may add the delay in the implementation of participative management measures: the company has never drawn up nor supplied to the government the technical information necessary to negotiate the boundaries of the allotted concession and the usage rights with the local population or the implementation of its social programme, the latter of which should be included in the conditions of the agreement.

The guide drawn up by the forestry authorities has also not been followed on several points:

§ the boundaries of the UFAs and the annual sub-division of the logging concessions are disregarded;

§ the minimum tree diameters for logging appear to have been completely ignored;

§ the sub-division of concession no. 6 in UFA 10-001, which was never authorised as a concession by the government, has been exploited illegally.

These practices demonstrate CFC’s lack of consideration towards the environmental and economic sustainability of its activities. CFC has never been fined for logging outside the boundaries of concession sub-divisions, although this represents a considerable loss of earnings to the national treasury. Sanctions on CFC should be proportional to the turnover generated by this illegal logging, estimated at more than $US 4 million from 2,500 ha.

While recognising these practices to be illegal, CFC’s management says it is obliged to operate this way as it waits for its management plan to be approved. There seems little foundation to this argument since the company has received at least one sub-division of a logging concession each year. This includes, since the production of the management plan, the sub-division of logging concession No. 10 in UFA 10-001 for 1999/2000. The ambiguous status of the CFC’s concession allows the company to not only continue with activities that are not compliant with existing law but also to possibly benefit from a final agreement of 18 years.

Finally, the total area to be granted to a concession-holder should not exceed 200,000 ha. However, the area of the CFC’s four UFAs amounts to 215,680 ha. Furthermore, the Thanry France group exploits almost 500,000 ha. in Cameroon. While it has no legal basis in Cameroon, it has obtained access to far more land for logging than that laid down by the law in Cameroon, due to the creation of numerous subsidiaries.

Workers’ conditions

The camp set up by CFC for its workers does not meet several required legal standards.

Camp accommodation has neither a kitchen nor a bathroom. There is neither clean water for washing in nor drinking water. The company has sunk a well near the camp; this constitutes the sole source of water for the camp. Built without the advice of an expert, the well water is very cloudy and unfit for consumption; it is also less than appealing to wash in. Furthermore, the water contains a number of amoeba, which cause the workers and their families to suffer from serious dysentery problems.

In the sawmill, the workers have neither gloves nor masks. They use chainsaws without wearing protective trousers or shoes, and few workers have protective earphones or safety glasses. Moreover, the workers’ only entrance to the camp is behind the sawmill, just a few metres from where the logs are handled prior to being cut up. This ignores the most basic rules of health and safety.

CFC has not built a school or a health centre for its workers. Consequently there is no local school for the workers’ children and health care is only available at Ngolla - which is at best rudimentary. Moreover, it is the company that decides if an accident on site is work-related. Workers then often see the cost of their care deducted from their wages.

The clinic at Ngolla

Environmental impact

Given the variety of species and the level of the vegetation’s natural regeneration in this area, with its rainy climate and mineral-rich soil, industrial-scale exploitation of the forests has above all an impact on the quality of the flora. The land cleared for the logging sites is quickly taken over by secondary forest to the detriment of primary forest while the five tree species that are sought after become less abundant in adult trees.

More than 76 per cent of the trees logged by CFC are threatened species. The Sapelli and Sipo, which are classified as ‘vulnerable’, are likely to become extinct in the medium term. The Assamela is classified as ‘endangered’, with a likelihood of extinction in the short term. By felling the largest trees, the forestry industry removes those trees that produce the best seeds. These tree species thus suffer from a lowering of their genetic base and this affects their regeneration.

The damage to biodiversity can also be seen on the fauna. Hunters also use the tracks constructed by the company to reach different parts of the forest and this leads to intensive hunting which is decimating animal species. In addition, the noise of the forestry machinery has caused most primates and Suidae to flee. The building of the roads and forestry tracks limits the movements of buffalo and elephants thus leaving them at the mercy of poachers. Birds are becoming more and more scarce. Generally the only animals to remain are small animals, particularly rodents.

Numerous shortcomings have been observed regarding the environmental impact of CFC’s activities:

§ a lack of planning regarding the location of trees to be felled and the placement of forestry tracks;

§ poor directions and information regarding felling and forwarding areas;

§ large clearings for the main roads (of 25-35 m) and for the secondary roads (of 18-23 m);

§ strong inclines (est. at 15 per cent minimum) at frequent intervals on the roads and tracks inside the concession area;

§ the use of construction methods for bridge-building in the forests which constrict the flow of the rivers and sometimes block the river altogether.

The shortcomings have the effect of:

§ forestry workers not being able to locate all the logs, so some are abandoned in the forests;

§ a growing number of tracks and an exacerbation of the problem of the soil being compacted, along with a destruction of the undergrowth;

§ more and more forestry work sites, most of which are 100-150 m apart;

§ a low yield on the forest of 10-12 m3/ha.;

§ a high level of erosion, bringing more and more silt to the rivers. By stopping the light penetrating, this sediment is affecting the fish and aquatic plants;

§ blocking the rivers and creating stagnant pools of water which cannot be used for drinking water and which are damaging for fish and plankton.

In addition, around CFC’s base area, areas of forest have been burnt in preparation for agriculture. The amount of forest taken over for subsistence agriculture by the CFC’s workers will increase with the rise in the number of employees. This matter is all the more worrying because the concession is in permanent forestry land where the land is intended for no other use but forestry.

Economic fallout

A total of 230 jobs have been created, of which 74 are for the people from the villages neighbouring the concession. The creation of these jobs appears to be the only positive impact of the CFC’s presence. The appeal of these jobs is such that the disappointment is great to see that many positions are filled by people from outside the area, who are often better qualified, and that the proportion of ‘local’ people employed is low.

The wages are not high but the creation of 230 jobs in the area generates a sizeable supply of money which could contribute towards local development. However, the fact that CFC has based itself 20 km from the closest village limits the growth of commercial activities in the neighbouring areas, and no new development or business has been seen in the villages visited.

There are few opportunities for selling goods along the road. Foodstuffs such as plantains can take days to be sold on the roadside. Those living in the CFC camp prefer to buy from Yokadouma where produce is cheaper. To improve the marketing and sales of their produce, the villagers of Ngolla have asked CFC to help them set up a local market which the workers could visit. However, there has been no development on this.

Impact on non-timber forest products

The CFC concession is in a part of the forest where the Sapelli tree is abundant. This species is the most sought after by the company but Sapelli leaves are also the favourite food of a caterpillar locally called ‘ossié’. These caterpillars are becoming scarcer and scarcer. Collected in August — September, they can generate an annual turnover of CFA 10,000. This means that these caterpillars, in addition to their nutritional value, can represent a sizeable revenue. The Sapelli bark is also used to heal wounds, for stomach-aches and for intestinal problems.

The sawmill site used to be an important area for wild mangoes (irvingia gabonensis) and the neighbouring villagers say that they now have to go much further to find wild mangoes. The fruit from this tree is important due to its nutritional and commercial value. The paste made from the kernel is particularly useful because it can be used to make sauces which last for a long time. Once made into ‘cakes’ the actual kernels can be conserved for over a year. In addition, studies looking at non-timber products have shown the commercial value of these mangoes. Harvesting wild mangoes is easily the most profitable activity among the non-timber activities, and if all the fruits of a tree were sold, this would make approximately CFA 100,000 - 150,000 a year.

The drop in fish catches is another major concern for the riverside villagers. The women have noticed a real drop in the catch and they have to travel further in order to catch sufficient quantities. In some villages, they are travelling 20 km just to get a reasonable number of fish. The people of Ngolla 35 used to fish in the Mempoe river which runs behind the CFC sawmill. Now they have to go to swamps far away to find the best sources for the fish. However, given the already noticeable encroachment by the company into these areas, some of the women think there will soon be no more fish left. This is causing the women a lot of worry and they can see no solution to this problem.

Since CFC started its operations, animals have been displaced and this has affected the villagers. In addition there have been changes to their hunting routes which cut across the forestry routes. This means that the hunters have to travel long distances to catch sufficient quantities or they have to go to ‘professional’ hunters, whom they have to pay. The difficulty in finding game animals has a real economic impact in the area. Due to the decline of the cash crops sector, hunting has become the most profitable economic activity. In addition, game — which is cheaper than farmed animals — is the main source of animal-based protein. The need to buy an increasing amount of meat is affecting the household budget and people’s nutritional levels. The Baka pygmies often suffer from a lack of sufficient protein during the dry season and the exploitation of the forest is exacerbating this problem. When demand is strong, the high prices paid in the local markets often encourage the hunters to sell the game rather than eat it or sell it at a (cheaper) village-rate.

There are poachers in the workers’ camp and this is an important factor in the declining numbers of game animals. Professional poachers, or youths with nothing to do, supply the workers and their families with game meat, as there is no alternative supply of meat. When the poachers cannot find a buyer locally, they sell in the town where the prices are higher. There are also outside forces involved, often powerful figures who own the guns and who have a crucial role in the growth of poaching.

Exacerbation of economic and social inequalities

The increase in goods and money coming into the region is causing a monetarization of the economy. This sometimes leads ‘to going without in order to buy salt, soap and other things’. This contributes to the economic and social marginalization of people who do not have access to cash. This is particularly the case for women and the Baka people.

One of the few ways to earn money for Baka women is to work on the Bantu plantations. However, they are often paid in kind, so their income is small. Bantu women often have easier access to cash than Baka women do, yet the range of sources of income available is greater among men than women. Non-timber based forestry products play an important role in women’s ability to earn a cash income. Therefore women are particularly badly hit when these products’ quality and quantity is reduced. Moreover, when the supply of meat diminishes, the job of finding a substitute for mealtimes falls on the women, who see the number of things they have to do rising. Also the distances which they have to cover to find fruit and fish takes time which they need for other tasks and for earning money. Prostitution is one way for women to earn an income and some women from the villages around the CFC’s concession seem to engage in prostitution. This is the case for the Bantu women, but also for the Baka women who are in demand due to the low prices which they charge.

Women and the Baka are least involved in decision-making. They are the last to receive any of the rare benefits in kind provided by the company: compensation for the felling of a tree on private land used by a woman is paid to a man, who alone has the right of land ownership; the clearing of an area for a food market benefits the influential men; many women are neither knowledgeable about the workings of CFC, nor of the existence of the Management Committees, nor of the dues paid by the company. Some villagers have never heard of the Management Committees and have no knowledge of what is being done with the money from these dues. The arbitrary selection of members for the two Management Committees, made by local authorities at the expense of the chiefs’ authority, leads to the control of the benefits by just a handful of people.

Health

The company’s lack of commitment to ensuring the well-being of its workers and their families has led to the following major problems:

§ permanent cases of amoebiasis, due to the total lack of drinking water for its employees;

§ frequent accidents at work;

§ a proliferation of sexually transmissible diseases, primarily due to the growth in prostitution, a lack of preventative measures and a lack of information on the subject;

§ large numbers of colds, due to pollution with the air containing particulates from wood-treatment operations and from the near-permanent emission from particulates from the production line;

§ hernias due to people carrying heavy loads.

Outside the camp, there are numerous cases of malaria. It is well known that deforestation plays a role in the development of this disease. In addition the swirling up of dust on the roads by forestry vehicles increases the risk of transmission of contagious diseases, because dust is a remarkable carrier of germs. CFC is not the only company operating in the region but its operations can only accentuate these problems.

Mountain of sawdust from the CFC mill in the concession

Conclusion

In spite of the current and foreseeable consequences of its activities on the human and natural environment and on the problems that these bring for the local inhabitants, CFC has undertaken only a limited number of schemes aimed at developing community facilities, and has only organised one meeting with just one group of neighbouring villagers. The Forestry Law of 1994 aims to integrate the needs of the local populations but the necessary means to enforce it are not available. The concerns of the people are often disregarded because the economic and financial imperatives within which the activities of forestry companies are based are far removed from these considerations, though those are crucial on economic but also ethical grounds. The interaction between those exploiting the forests, the villagers and the different local actors are complex and difficult to deal with. Nevertheless the Thanry group has operated in Cameroon for many years and it should, as a result, have acquired experience of dealing with social problems and experience of working with neighbouring villagers. It should develop an effective and fair means of communication and negotiation with the local populations instead of giving out sporadic gifts of foodstuffs, wood and alcohol. A well managed process of negotiation regarding the promotion of local development and a policy of adequate training would not overcome all of the problems or the impact of the exploitation of the forest on the peoples’ wellbeing. However, it could offer some compensation. Obviously the Thanry group has chosen a different path and profits from the weakness of the Cameroonian authorities in enforcing the law to grow rich at the expense of the less powerful.