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Article

16 Dec 2024

Author:
Mekong Eye

Laos: Land loss and deforestation reported as Chinese & Vietnamese fruit companies expand

Wikipedia

"Fruits of spoil: Laos’ forests disappearing as fruit farms flourish" 16 December 2024

The new high-speed railway has enabled faster fruit exports from Laos to China, attracting more investment in large-scale plantations. However, this growth has come at the cost of deforestation...

Satellite images from Planet Labs revealed that the land now occupied by Chinese company Jin Yao's plantation was a dense forest until mid-2019. Over time, the green patches thinned and the forest cover gradually disappeared...

Our reporter contacted Jin Yao via email obtained from Tianyancha, a data technology company providing information about Chinese enterprises,, but the message failed to deliver...

In 2018, in response to local communities’ complaints of land grabbing and alarming deforestation rates, the government issued a moratorium on land deals to suspend new concessions for mining, rubber and eucalyptus plantations. However, new land deals have continued to be approved since then...

During a site visit, our reporter found remnants of ancient trees scattered near the farms. One of these farms belongs to the owner of Guangxi Jianda Jinniu Agricultural Technology Co, Ltd (建大)...

“The authorities and the [Chinese] companies use the fact that cassava fields were once forested to seize land from the locals. If you disagree, they will still take it, uproot your cassava, and bring in bananas and durian,” said Jay*, a member of the Indigenous Laven community in Attapeu...Our reporter was unable to reach Jianda as there is limited public information about the company’s contacts...

Driven by this project, the Sichuan-based agricultural technology company Jiarun (嘉润) arrived in Laos...The company plans to dedicate 3,000 hectares to creating the world’s largest durian plantation...

According to an environmental impact assessment for Attapeu province, the farm is within the Xe Khampho-Bang Wilai national production forest area, which remains rich in natural resources and wildlife. Our reporter contacted Jiarun via its website and received no response at the time of publication...

Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company (HAGL) is one of the leading players in Laos’ durian industry...Satellite imagery from late 2020 to early 2021 shows that banana trees have replaced cleared forest areas adjacent to the company’s plantation in Saysettha district.

The NGO Global Witness published a report in 2013 that accused HAGL of evicting communities in Laos’ and Cambodia’s forested land to make way for rubber plantations. Duc denied this in a Reuters’ report, saying the accusations were “fabrication and vilification.” Our reporter contacted the company via email, but did not receive a response...

Stuart Ling, an expert working in Laos for more than two decades, raised concerns about the government’s ability to monitor the projects in concession areas...Plantations have been launched without the requirement for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments or resettlement plans...

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