Around the globe,first world countries have been accused of demanding that emerging economies put aside large areas of land. This is in order (it is thought) to look after wildlife – for the benefit of wealthy tourists, with no regard to the population that lives nearby.
Yet, not only is this not true, it is often the basis that destructive industries use to fight against reserves of any kind.
“How dare you try to protect the lion, Tiger, chimpanzee, orangutan over the local people” is a idea regularly thrown about by vested interests. Yet, in actual fact these same businesses often totally destroy the locals way of life.
Consider the many thousands of villages in Sumatra which 50 years ago would have been deep in the rainforest – surrounded by thousands of miles of rainforest full of everything they could ever need. There are now many villages hemmed in my palm oil plantation – not only usually on stolen land, but often with owners who prosecute villagers for trespass even though it is in their own land.
This is similar in the Congo basin and the Amazon basin, as well as habitats as diverse as mountainous, forested, oceans and deserts to name just a few.
This is the purpose of our “in the shadow of mankind” listings. Our aim is to allow people the world over to profit in a way that doesn’t destroy wilderness that is left, but beings in a bit of money for the local population.
Please help spread the word.
