The horrific consequences of rubber’s toxic past

Nearby, the world’s largest rubber processing company Halcyon Agri is clearing thousands of hectares for rubber trees on its Sudcam plantation.

Environmental groups including Greenpeace, WWF and the Center for International Forestry Research have all raised concerns about the impact of deforestation in the area. Some villagers allege they have not been properly compensated for loss of their lands.

In response, in November 2018, Halcyon Agri announced a new “sustainable” supply chain policy, and launched a Sustainability Commission covering its work in Cameroon.

Promising to address working conditions, responsible land acquisition and use, ecosystem protection, and ethical practices, the company acknowledged that it “understands its role and obligation to minimise impact on the environment while continuing to meet the growing demand for a raw material vital to modern life”.

Halcyon Agri is a subsidiary of Sinochem, a Chinese state-owned enterprise. So demand for rubber from a great foreign power is still causing controversy in Africa. But now that controversy is about cutting down trees, not hands.