GPIA Conference Jonathan Leonard April 23rd, 2013

Atrocity in the Amazon; A De a!tation of "ree!, "ri#e!, and "radition!

$aho%any& A pop'lar (ood '!ed for creatin% hi%h )'ality f'rnit're* +al'ed for it! attri#'te! of ti%ht %rain, ma,e!tic red 'ndertone!, d'ra#ility, and re!i!tance to decay*1 $aho%ony (ood prod'ct! are con!idered l'-'ry item!, and fetch hi%h price! on the f'rnit're mar.et* maho%any /ne of the more de!ira#le and 0%en'ine1 arietie! i! 2i% Leafed $aho%any, or

Swietenia Macrophylla* 3i!torically, it (a! '!ed a! a !'#!tit'te for C'#an $aho%any (Swietenia mahagoni) (hich (a! o erhar e!ted #y 4pain5! !hip6#'ildin% ind'!try, and #ecame 0endan%ered1* In t'rn, 2i% Leafed $aho%any it!elf ha! no( #ecome 0threatened*1 In re!pon!e, !ome co'ntrie! li.e 7icara%'a and 2razil ha e #anned the e-portation of it! (ood* 3o(e er, hi%h price! and the i!olation of Amazonian fore!t! ha e incenti ized e-ten!i e e-tra6 le%al operation! in place! li.e ea!tern Per'* A! (e ta.e a clo!er loo. at Per'5! ille%al lo%%in% c'lt're, (e di!co er that the e-tinction of 2i% Leaf $aho%any i! only the tip of the ice#er%, and that the!e lo%%in% camp! create a (ide ran%e of !ocial and en ironmental i!!'e!*

What's the big Problem with Cutting down some Trees?

Environmental
Clear6c'ttin% defore!tation i! a ma,or contri#'tor of %lo#al climate chan%e* In Per', it i! al!o threatenin% #iodi er!ity* "he #i%6leafed maho%any tree 8Swietenia macrophylla9 i! li!ted a! 0 'lnera#le1 on the CI"I:4 li!t of endan%ered !pecie!, and a !i%nificant !hare of the (orld5! !'pply come! from Per'* In fact, Per' i! the la!t remainin% #'l. e-porter of nat'rally %ro(in% Swietenia macrophylla,2 (ith the remainder %ro(in% on farm! in A!ia* In Per', protection of thi! !pecie! ha! come to a pi otal point (here e en !mall poc.et! of protected tree! co'ld help en!'re it! e-i!tence* D'e to it! hi%h al'e a! an
1 2 ;3ard(ood! 8$aho%any 6 /#eche9*; Hardwood Pricing Guide: Mahogany to Obeche* <e!t <ind 3ard <ood Incorporated, <e#* 1= Apr* 2013* >http&??(((*(e!t(indhard(ood*com?prod'ct!?fine6(ood!?hard(ood!6$/*php@ Aore!t Le%ality Alliance* http&??(((*fore!tle%ality*or%?ri!.6tool?!pecie!?!(ietenia6macrophylla

international commodity, it ha! #een thoro'%hly remo ed from nearly e ery le%al lo%%in% conce!!ion in Per', lea in% mo!t remainin% tree! in Indi%eno'! or 7at're re!er e!* 3 "he remo al of the!e tree! ha! !erio'! impact! on the ha#itat of other 'lnera#le plant! and animal! li.e the Giant /tter 8 Pteronura brasiliensis9* Clear6c'ttin% al!o lead! to the r'nnin% of !ilt and top!oil, contaminatin% the ital (ater!hed! (hich the local people depend 'pon for drin.in% (ater*=

Indigenous Abuse
Ille%al lo%%in% camp! are detrimental to the indi%eno'! comm'nitie! (hich they in ade* Lo%%er! are .no(n to .ill indi%eno'! people (ith %'n!, di!ea!e!, and de!tr'ction of their ital re!o'rce!* Air!t contact #et(een a lo%%in% %ro'p and an 0'ncontacted1 tri#e can lead to 'p to B0C of the tri#e5! death at the hand! of infl'enza or other 0common1 illne!!e! (hich are %enerally not con!idered life threatenin%*
B

"he lo%%er! de!troy the ital food and (ater !o'rce! of local tri#e!* "hey al!o m'rder tri#e!men (ho

prote!t the fellin% of their $aho%any tree!; !'ch incident! ha e #een on the ri!e !ince $aho%any tree! #ecame !carce o't!ide of protected zone!*D "he ictim! of !'ch attac.! are %enerally illa%e! of !mall n'm#er!, and limited defen!i e capacitie!* /ne !'ch !ad !tory i! of the $'r'nah'a tri#e, (hich made 1!t contact (ith maho%any lo%%er! in the mid 1EE0!* Jor%e 8pict'red ri%ht9 told 4'r i al International the !addenin% tale of hi! tri#e5! de!tr'ction& 0"he di!ea!e came (hen the lo%%er! made contact (ith '!, altho'%h (e didnFt .no( (hat a cold (a! then* "he di!ea!e .illed '!* 3alf of '! died* $y a'nt died, my nephe( died* 3alf of my people died*1 Jor%e5! eye (a! lo!t in a #attle (ith lo%%er! d'rin% 1!t contact*

3 = B D

7ational Geo%raphic* http&??n%m*national%eo%raphic*com?2013?0=?maho%any?(allace6te-t 2i%6leaf $aho%any*; !* <e#* 0B Apr* 2013* >http&??((f*panda*or%?(hatG(eGdo?endan%eredG!pecie!?#i%leafGmaho%any?@* 4'r i al International* http&??(((*!'r i alinternational*or%?campai%n!?threat! Indian Co'ntry* http&??indianco'ntrytodaymedianet(or.*com?ictarchi e!?200D?10?1H?ille%al6lo%%in%6on6the6ri!e6in6 per'612HHH1

Forced Labor & Modern Slavery

"here i! a !hoc.in% de%ree of forced la#or and !la ery (ithin the!e camp!* Poor and de!perate people are recr'ited to the camp! (ith promi!e! of %ood pay; (hich are ne er deli ered* $en are forced to (or. %r'elin% ho'r!, and are %ro!!ly o erchar%ed for their #a!ic pro i!ion!* I <omen are forced into #ein% camp pro!tit'te!, and ha e no (here to r'n and no one to t'rn to for help* "here are no medical !'pplie! in the camp!, and people (ho #ecome !e erely ill are !imply left in the fore!t to die* A #one chillin% acco'nt of ho( the!e camp! operate (a! %i en #y $aria, a B0 year old 'nemployed !in%le mother (ho (a! coa-ed into a 0coo.in%1 ,o# at a lo%%in% camp (ith an 'p6front payment of 2B0 4ole! 8a#o't JE0K4D9* Kpon arri al, !he di!co ered that !he (a! not only e-pected to coo. for the 2B men at the camp, #'t al!o to pro ide them (ith !e-'al fa or!* "he acco'nt of her emotional t'rmoil at camp i! one of har!h fear and de!peration& 0A (oman i! ,'!t an o#,ect for the men* "hey ta.e the %irl! (hene er they (ant, e en if the %irl doe!n L t (ant it* /n the %ro'nd, in the #'!h, I donFt .no(* And the %irl ha! to allo( thi!, #eca'!e !he canFt lea e Mthe campN ,'!t li.e that*1 reprai!al from the lo%%in% mafia*H : en (hen inter ie(in% (ith 4'r i al International after her e!cape, 0$aria1 concealed her identity; fearin%

Solutions in Progress
Trade Regulations
"he K4A import! H0C of Per'5! maho%any* A hi%htened a(arene!! of the!e i!!'e! led K4 le%i!lator! to create a trade a%reement (ith Per' in 200E, (hich !ee.! to doc'ment the !o'rce of the tim#er* 3o(e er, the proliferation of for%ed tim#er doc'mentation ha! made policy deci!ion! re%ardin% moho%any trade ineffect'al, (ith many tree! ille%ally har a!ted tree! #ein% doc'mented a! !o'rced from le%al conce!!ion!*E
I H E Anti64la ery* http&??(((*anti!la ery*or%?incl'de!?doc'ment!?cmGdoc!?200E?c?contemporaryGform!GofG!la eryGinGper'*pdf ;"he La'nderin% $achine*; "he :n ironmental In e!ti%ation A%ency, Apr* 2012* <e#* >(((*eia6international*or%?(p6 content?'pload!?"he6La'nderin%6$achine*pdf@* :n ironmental In e!ti%ation A%ency* http&??(((*eia6international*or%?ille%al6(ood6from6per' ian6amazon6i!6enterin%6 the6'!a

Existing institutions
"here are a ho!t of or%anization!, #oth local and international (hich are (or.in% to rectify the!e i!!'e!* /n the %lo#al !cale, or%anization! li.e the <<A 8<orld <ildlife A'nd9 and 4'r i al International ha e #ro'%ht international attention to the i!!'e* Pe' ian or%anization! li.e A:$A$AD 8Aederacion 7ati a del Oio $adre de Dio! y Afl'ente!9 and Defen!oria del P'e#lo 8Per'5! /m#'d!man or%anization9 ha e #een !tr'%%lin% to (or. (ith local m'nicipal %o ernment! to monitor and report con!er ation iolation!* 3o(e er, the Amazon i! a!t, and their capacity ha! pro en limited*

La Selva Guardia
A ne( %ra!!root! (hi!le#lo(er initiati e de!i%ned to protect the Amazonian rainfore!t from the threat of ille%al lo%%in% (ith a mi- of& technolo%y, a net(or. of dedicated indi%eno'! participant!, and tar%eted ,o'rnali!m* /'r or%anization !ee.! to la'nch (ith a lo(6co!t, lo( maintenance, participatory pro,ect for monitorin% the pre!ence of lo%%in% camp!* "he pro,ect (ill pro ide protection #y (ay of& Locating Danger Areas: <or. (ith en ironmental a%encie! and local indi%eno'! %ro'p! to re!earch the location! of #i%6 leafed maho%any tree! acro!! the Per' ian Amazon* 7arro( location! do(n to cl'!ter! (hich are (ithin a 7at're?Indi%eno'! re!er e, and (here lo%%er! (o'ld ha e a mean! to e-port any felled tree! 8!'ch a! near#y road!, or ri er (ay!9* Identify preci!e location! (ithin tho!e cl'!ter! (hich (o'ld #e !'ita#le for the creation of a lo%%in% camp* 8#a!ed on !lope of terrain, pro-imity to tree!, etc*9 onitoring and !e"orting #llegal Cam"s: Create a %ra!!root! net(or. of indi%eno'! people 0Aore!t G'ardian!1 8La 4el a G'ardia9 to periodically chec. near#y 0Dan%er1 area!* Pro ide contact per!on! for the Aore!t G'ardian! to report their findin%! to, (ho (ill in t'rn report the findin%! to head)'arter! ia email* Aor re%ion! (hich may ha e 0'ncontacted1 tri#e! in re!idence, motion detectin% GP4 camera! (ill #e in!talled* <hen acti ated, the!e (ill !end pict're! directly to the head)'arter! ia email* "hi! more e-pen!i e and le!! particpatory method i! '!ed to pre!er e the (i!he! of the tri#e! (hich de!ire to remain i!olated*

!es"onse to #llegal Acti$it%: <hen facin% a camp5! di!co ery, the La 4el a G'ardia head)'arter! (ill enco'ra%e it! I67G/ partner! to p't !e ere media pre!!'re 'pon the Per' ian %o ernment to di!mantle the camp* <ill !end repre!entati e ,o'rnali!t! to doc'ment the %o ernment5! re!pon!i ene!! (hen pro ided a hi%hly detailed de!cription and e-act GP4 coordinate! of the camp* Jo'rnali!t! (ill a!!e!! the dama%e! of the lo%%in% fir!t hand, and (or. to create a narrati e (hich ill'!trate! the de!tr'ction ca'!ed #y the ille%al lo%%in% pre!ence* If 'naddre!!ed in a timely manner, La 4el a (ill initiate lo##yin% effort!, participate in p'#lic prote!t!, and create petiton! to pre!!'re %o ernment force! into remo in% the camp* <e !incerely hope that o'r effort! ma.e a difference, and that (e can !im'ltaneo'!ly pre ent the e-tinction of !pecie!, limit the e-po!'re of !ome of the (orld5! la!t i!olated people!, and free the en!la ed ictim! of the lo%%in% mafia!*