Contributions to State of the Apes are commissioned from a range of experts. They contain a wealth of information, not all of which can be included in each volume. To make this valuable information and analysis publicly available, here we present some of the key contributions in their entirety.
How Industrial Agriculture Affects Current and Future Conditions for Communities and Conservation
This paper draws on the experience of the Forest Peoples Programme and their partners to examine how industrial agriculture influences communities’ perceptions and actions in respect to conservation of an ecosystem as a whole or of specific species. It focuses on the palm oil industry in Liberia and highlights the shortfalls of the current approach.
Download PDFConservation in an Agriculture Landscape: Wilmar’s Experience
This paper provides details on Wilmar International’s conservation policies, practices, and initiatives in and around its oil-palm concessions in Asia and Africa. It includes an overview of the company’s commitment to conservation and the challenges faced, as well as case studies on its research collaborations and partnerships with government, conservation organizations, and sanctuaries.
Download PDFThe Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit
The Zoological Society of London has developed a Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit to harness the power of investors and other stakeholders in the palm-oil supply chain to increase uptake of best practices by oil-palm growers, thereby helping to protect ape habitats. This paper provides a brief overview of the toolkit and its application.
Download PDFIndustrial Agriculture and Apes: The Experience of Olam International in Gabon
Christopher Stewart provides a case study of Olam International’s involvement in oil-palm development in Gabon. He provides details on the global and Gabonese contexts; Olam’s commitment to sustainable practice; its land development process; the interface of apes, wildlife management, and oil-palm cultivation in Gabon; and the six pillars of Olam’s Ape Management Plan to address this interface.
Download PDFOil-Palm Development: Success Story or Nightmare?
This paper looks at the development of oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia and then asks the question: Can oil palm be developed without the agro-industry? Patrice Levang assesses the potential for oil-palm expansion through increased smallholder involvement and looks at the reasoning behind industrial versus smallholder models.
Download PDFCase Study on New Forests’ Malua BioBank Initiative
This paper provides an overview of New Forests’ Malua BioBank, located on Borneo and established for the generation and trading of “credits” for actions that are beneficial to biodiversity. Merril Halley details the concept of biobanking; the operation of the biobank; and the challenges faced and opportunities presented; and assesses its success in achieving conservation goals and lessons learned.
Download PDFInfluencing Smallholders in Relation to Industrial Agriculture and Conservation
In this paper, Cristina Talens looks at the impact of the rise in the use of performance indicators and certification to promote ethical and sustainable trade among smallholders. It then presents ways of working with smallholders to facilitate their adoption of responsible practice. Those methods include strengthening dialogue, establishing secure long-term trading relationships, and offering price incentives for conservation and reforestation measures.
Download PDFConservation Agriculture: A Weapon in the Fight against Forest Destruction
The concept of sustainable crop production intensification (SCPI) arises from the pressing need to increase food production to feed the growing number of people in the world. Conservation agriculture forms an integral part of SCPI. In this paper, Brian Sims provides an overview of conservation agriculture and looks at how it can contribute to the protection of biodiversity and wildlife species.
Download PDFThe Dimensions of Ape-Human Interactions in Industrial Agricultural Landscapes
Harmful or conflictual interactions between humans and wildlife have become a focus for conservation. In this paper, Tatyana Humle reviews the pressures faced by apes in landscapes undergoing rapid modification through industrial agricultural development. It also highlights current mitigation strategies aimed at balancing conservation and agricultural development as well as issues with approaches such as translocation.
Download PDFA Review of Sustainable Forestry Management as a Tool for Meeting Conservation Goals
Tropical forests cover almost 14 million square kilometers of the global land surface. This paper, from the Zoological Society of London, investigates whether sustainable forestry management (SFM) is a solution to meeting multiple development and conservation goals. It describes incentives for practicing SFM and includes a section focusing on great apes and logging. The paper also includes a detailed case study—of the Wildlife Wood Project—on working with the timber sector to achieve conservation.
Download PDFFinding the “Best Balance” between Economic Development and Biodiversity Protection: A Mining Industry Perspective
In this paper, mining engineer Barbara Filas explores the interface between mineral extraction and conservation through the eyes of industry. She covers the drivers behind mineral development; the demands made by industry; the development cycle of a mineral prospect, including the identification of environmental and social impacts; the challenges faced by industry in this arena and how it overcomes or addresses them; and the importance of cooperation.
Download PDFExtractive Industries, Conservation and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
In this paper, the Forest Peoples Programme focuses on the interplay between extractive industries, indigenous forest peoples, and conservation. It examines the impact of extractive industries and the overlap between indigenous and great ape territories, arguing that conservation groups need to expand their focus from one that seeks protection of particular species or ecosystems to one that encompasses the rights and sustainable livelihoods of forest peoples.
Download PDFExtractive Industries and Orangutans
The extractive industries on Borneo and Sumatra overlap significantly with orangutan habitat. In this paper, Erik Meijaard and Serge Wich examine the geography of these industries and their overlap with ape habitat, the environmental impact of extraction, and, more specifically, its impact on orangutans. The authors also look at corporate efforts to reduce these impacts, and where possible, to have a positive effect.
Download PDFThe Ape in the Machinery: A Status Report on Great Ape Conservation in Natural Resource Extraction Zones in Central Africa
The Wildlife Conservation Society explores threats to apes posed by the extractive industries and outlines some of the policies and practices that are being applied to mitigate these challenges, including a review of the “mitigation hierarchy.” The paper looks at how these methods are being adopted through voluntary and regulatory mechanisms at national and international levels and provides a case study on an emerging mining project in Central Africa.
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