Palm Oil Industry and Its Effects on the Indigenous Pleople of Ecuador

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Recommended: The tragic consequences of the destruction of large areas of tropical rainforests should be described

Rainforests are the most diverse biomes on the earth. The rainforest house many different species and support the lives of the indigenous tribes who depend on the forests for habitat, food, and way of life. The palm oil companies are spreading to many parts of the world, taking out regions of the forest in order to make room for their palm oil plantations. Palm oil is found in 50% of products we use every day from items like shampoo and conditioner to the food we eat (Rainforest Rescue 2013). If the rain forests are fragmented too much, not only will it cause the species to possibly go extinct but it will cause issues with tribes like the Waorani, who are nomadic and depend on the forest for food, shelter, and clothes. If we treat the forest like we did with the Indians in North America, their culture and way of life may not survive. They may not have enough forest left to continue their nomadic life.
The Waorani are dependent on the forest for their survival. The Waorani depend on the animals for food, the plants for medicine, the crops to build their homes and beds (Nova 1984). If the company’s palm oil plantations take away the forest, then they are taking away their source of protein as the monkeys will become scarce for them to find. The medicinal plants will be taken away as deforestation occurs and biodiversity among plants and animals decreases. The palm oil companies build large plantations that take away from the amount of land the Waorani will have access to. If these companies continue like this they will end up taking away too much of the forest and the Waorani’s nomadic way of life will no longer be successful and may even disappear.And the Waorani will not be the only tribe affected by the palm oil industry the Q...

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...lm Oil Through Sustainable Plantations." Sustainable Palm Oil. http://www.sustainablepalmoil.org/palm-oil-production-through-sustainable-plantations/ (accessed March 24, 2014).
"Facts about palm oil and rainforests." Topic. http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil (accessed March 28, 2014).
"Resisting Land Grabbing in Ecuador | Cultural Survival." Resisting Land Grabbing in Ecuador | Cultural Survival. http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/resisting-land-grabbing-ecuador (accessed March 28, 2014).

“Oil Palm and Other Commercial Tree Plantations, Monocropping: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples’ Land Tenure and Resource Management Systems and Livelihoods.” Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Parshuram Tamang. (accessed April 30, 2014)

“Nomads of the Rainforest “ PBS Nova 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn8gk67s6YM&hd=1 (accessed April 30,2014)

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