The Expansion of Tree Monocultures in Mozambique. Impacts on Local Peasant Communities in the Province of Niassa

This publication is the result of a visit to Mozambique in November 2009 by two activists involved in the struggle against tree monocultures in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. This visit was made possible by the World Rainforest Movement (WRM) with the goal of exchanging experiences about large-scale tree monocultures. With more than 40 years of dealing with monoculture plantations and expansion, Brazil has a lot of experience in this area. At the same time, affected communities and supporting organizations in the country have led several struggles and acts of resistance and formed alliances, which nearly ten years ago resulted in the foundation of the Alert against the Green Desert Network (Rede Alerta contra o Deserto Verde). In the past few years, WRM has been made aware of the fact that more and more tree monocultures are being planted in Mozambique. Since Brazil and Mozambique have in common Portuguese as their official language, the idea arose to promote the exchange between the two countries so as to: − exchange experiences with the affected communities about the impacts; − better understand the current situation of the introduction and expansion of tree monocultures in Mozambique; and, − identify organizations involved or interested in the subject. This visit would not have been possible without the invaluable help of our friends at UNAC (União Nacional de Camponeses - National Peasant Union) in Mozambique, and UCA (União dos Camponeses e Associações de Lichinga - Union of Peasant and Associations of Lichinga), who volunteered to receive and accompany the Brazilian delegation and organized the visits to the communities. We also want to thank Via Campesina Brasil for their support in this initiative.