Oil palm plantations in forest landscapes: impacts, aspirations and ways forward in Uganda Richard Ssemmanda and Michael Opige (eds.) This publication has been produced under the framework of the Green Livelihoods Alliance - Millieudefensie, IUCN-NL and Tropenbos International - funded under the ‘Dialogue and Dissent’ strategic partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Tropenbos International or its partners. Suggested citation: Ssemmanda R. and Opige M.O. (eds.). 2018. Oil palm plantations in forest landscapes: impacts, aspirations and ways forward in Uganda. Wageningen, the Netherlands: Tropenbos International ISBN: 978-90-5113-139-0 Additional editing by: Nick Pasiecznik and Hans Vellema Layout by: Juanita Franco Photos: Hans Vellema (Tropenbos International) Tropenbos International P.O. Box 232 6700 AE Wageningen The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tropenbos.org Contents Overview Paradise lost, or found? The introduction of oil palm to Uganda’s tropical forest 5 islands in Lake Victoria – a review of experiences and proposed next steps Richard Ssemmanda, Michael Opige, Nick Pasiecznik & Hans Vellema Background reviews Land use changes (1990-2015) in Kalangala and 14 Buvuma districts, southern Uganda Grace Nangendo Environmental impacts of oil palm plantations in Kalangala 22 Mary Namaganda Impacts of oil palm on forest products and implications for 25 the management of remaining forest fragments Polycarp Musimami Mwima Gender-based impacts of commercial oil palm plantations in Kalangala 31 Joselyn Bigirwa Comparison of the economic and social benefits of central 37 forest reserves and oil palm plantations in Kalangala Moses Masiga, Sharon Anena & Godfrey Nviri Assessment of short term gains from oil palm plantations in 41 Kalangala, against long term benefits of forest conservation Abwoli Banana, Steven Kaukha & Amooti Nsita Mitigating negative impacts of oil palm expansion in 47 Kalangala, and complementary livelihoods options Stella Namanji and Charles Ssekyewa Implications of land tenure laws for ensuring the sustainable management 51 of forested landscapes alongside planned oil palm expansion in Buvuma Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala 4 — Oil palm plantations in forest landscapes: impacts, aspirations and ways forward in Uganda Overview Paradise lost, or found? The introduction of oil palm to Uganda’s tropical forest islands in Lake Victoria – a review of experiences and proposed next steps Richard Ssemmanda¹, Michael Opige¹, Summary Nick Pasiecznik² & Hans Vellema² The main aim of introducing oil palm impacts, and papers in this report (Elaeis guineensis) on islands in Lake have made a start in documenting Victoria is laudable – to provide them. Communities were also not ¹Chief executive officer (ssemmarich@ gmail.com) and Director of operations cash incomes to impoverished rural consulted during the planning phase ([email protected]) people and to improve the national or prior to implementation. They Eco-Trends Ltd., JOFRA House, Bugolobi, economy. But do these two objectives complain about negative impacts and PO Box 36839, Kampala, Uganda go hand in hand? Projects packaged not being compensated equitably or on perceived contributions to national promptly for what they have lost and ²Associate ([email protected]) and economies do not always translate are continuing to lose. This overview Programme coordinator (hans.vellema@ to improvements in the wellbeing of summarizes the findings from a series tropenbos.org) rural communities as relationships are of eight background review papers Tropenbos International, PO Box 232, 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands not straight forward in such complex prepared as part of activities by the situations. The introduction of oil palm Green Livelihood Alliance in Uganda in Kalangala has certainly provided a in 2017. These look specifically at the number of benefits, but most new jobs impacts of oil palm production that pay less than prevailing wage rates now occupy more than a third of the in the area. This has thus attracted main island in Kalangala district, and migrant labour with associated social implications for planned expansion costs, while local people still tend to here and in neighbouring Buvuma prefer to carry on fishing, farming district where oil palm plantations are and using their forests. But due to scheduled for half of the area. The negative environmental impacts eight papers cover land use changes, resulting directly and indirectly from environmental impacts, gender-based oil palm expansion, people were also impacts, economic and social benefits finding that their waters are being compared to those from central forest polluted and their forests are fast reserves, mitigating negative impacts, disappearing. implications on the management of remaining forests, and of land tenure The recent introduction of oil palm laws. into Uganda’s Lake Victoria islands has caused significant negative Oil palm plantations in forest landscapes: impacts, aspirations and ways forward in Uganda — 5 All land in Uganda is owned by the citizens of Uganda, (VODP) under the Ministry of Agriculture, to be managed and any land acquisition in the country, be it by by Oil Palm Uganda Ltd (OPUL), a subsidiary of BIDCO government or private entities, must meet the requirements Uganda. of Article 26 of the Constitution. This states that every person has a right to own property either individually And those involved in the planning for Buvuma would do or in association with others, and that no person shall well to look at experiences in Kalangala as well as those be compulsorily deprived of property or any interest in from West Africa and elsewhere (Pasiecznik and Savenije, or right over property of any description except where 2017). Many positive success stories show that more certain conditions are satisfied. The ‘oil palm project’ in sustainable systems of palm oil production are not only Kalangala district has also seriously tested the commitment possible, but also profitable and more equitable, through and resolve of the Ugandan government to enforce its the organization and empowerment of smallholder own environmental laws. But unfortunately, evidence farmers rather than the expansion of multinational-owned appears to suggest that the sanctity of lakeshores and monoculture plantations as the preferred business model. natural forests have been violated. An assessment of Specific recommendations include the need for repeated the benefits of oil palm needs to be considered, and consultations and active participation of local communities compared to actual and potential benefits from central and all stakeholders, thorough and environmental forest reserves and private forests that are being replaced. impact and gender assessments conducted prior to any Available evidence some of which is presented here implementation, and regular, independent and transparent indicates that natural forests can generate incomes and monitoring. services to local communities in excess of those from oil palm. Uganda’s Lake Victoria islands As to the future? Plans are underway for growing more oil palm in Uganda, and experiences like those from This report focuses on Kalangala and Buvuma districts, Kalangala documented here are important and must central Uganda. Both are made up entirely of islands in be borne in mind when planning further expansion. It is the north and northwest of Lake Victoria. Kalangala and reported that 3,500 hectares of forest will be cleared for Buvuma districts are made up of a total of 136 islands the establishment oil palm plantations on Buvuma island, with no mainland. Kalangala district comprises 84 islands, and which is likely to impact at least some of the many also known as the Ssese Islands, with a total land area of gazetted forest reserves. The Buvuma Palm Oil Project is 468 km². Of these, 63 are inhabited, by far the largest a component of the Vegetable Oil Development Project being Bugala island with an area of 296 km², making it Figure 1. Bugala island in Kalanagala district, and Buvuma island in Buvama district. Map by: Monica Timbuka 0 0 0 0 Buvuma Island 0 0 . Map of Uganda 4 ± 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 2 0 5 10 20 Kms 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 1 Bugala Island 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 1 - 0 100 200 400 Kms 30.000000 31.000000 32.000000 33.000000 34.000000 35.000000 Legend Buvuma Island Coordinate system: WGS_1984_UTM_Zone_36N 0 5 10 20 Kms Bugala Island Lake Victoria The boundaries were obtained from http://geoportal.rcmrd.org/layers/ Uganda boundary Map prepared by Monica Timbuka 6 — Oil palm plantations in forest landscapes: impacts, aspirations and ways forward in Uganda the second largest island in Lake Victoria. Buvuma district shoal migrations. Lumbering is also another economic includes 52 islands, the largest being Buvuma island, with activity, tourism is increasing, and the district holds several 26 gazetted forest reserves though many are threatened investment potentials including the BIDCO palm oil by unregulated logging and charcoal making, and now project. by the planned establishment of oil palm plantations. The islands lie just south of the equator in the humid The Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UNBS, 2017) tropical zone. Mean maximum temperature is 27- estimated the populations of Buvuma and Kalangala 30˚C with a mean minimum generally not lower