MODERN THREATS TO FOREST LANDSCAPES: THE CASE OF OIL PALM CULTIVATION IN THE SOUTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

Abstract

Man’s search for security, comfort and efficiency did not affect our ecology until very recently. Uncontrolled population growth and the concomitant additional requirements have led to deforestation and the destruction of the natural habitat for thousands of species. The use of bio-fuel to replace fossil fuel has equally opened new vistas to the cultivation of large agro-industrial oil palm plantations in heart of the humid tropical forest. One of the major challenging factors has been the systematic rape of the forest landscapes so that the environments are only a skeletal or shadow of themselves.The purpose of this paper is to examine the ecological and socio-economic implications of such large agro-industrial oil palm plantations, more precisely the US-based agricultural company Herakles Farms, through its subsidiary SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon Ltd (SGSOC), to develop a 73, 000 hectare palm oil plantation under a 99-year land lease at the heart of five protected areas, situated in the fringe of world’s second largest biodiversity hotspot in the South West Region of Cameroon.The available data from secondary sources and field survey will guide the research study. The data will be analyzed and interpreted to reflect the events on ground. Cartographic, descriptive and comparative methods will equally be used. Our findings reveal that the conversion of dense forest to oil palm plantation has led to the loss of biodiversity, disruption of the forest ecosystem, fragmentation of animal habitats, reduction in livelihood alternatives for the forest-adjacent communities and diverse conflicts. The author therefore, calls on the stakeholders and policy makers in Cameroon to enact laws that will prohibit the cultivation of oil palms in forested areas. Oil palms should be cultivated only on degraded landscapes to avoid these ecological and socio-economic impacts.