Protecting elephants
Banana paper also helps protect endangered species such as elephants, giraffes and lions. Yes, all those iconic animals are endangered. Elephants have decreased by 50% the last 40 years. Giraffes have decreased by 40% just during 15 years time, and Lions by over 90% the last 70 years. *1
We took this photo on one of our many safaris, just 20 km from our Banana Paper project.
One of the causes of poaching is poverty. Getting banana paper jobs can prevent poaching. At the same time, team members undergo training on biodiversity and attend events to deepen their understanding of the importance of protecting wildlife and the natural environment.
One early morning we met this elephant. It was just near by our lodge in Zambia. Photo taken by our smartphone….
At present, paper, which is mainly made of wood, puts a heavy burden on forests around the world. The regeneration of trees cannot keep up, and the world loses about one third of the area of Japan every year. *2 One of the reasons for the declining numbers of Asian tigers and orangutans is unsustainable forestry. While the demand for paper is increasing in Africa, where the economy is growing at a faster pace in the world, the use of banana paper has also helped protect wildlife and habitat forests.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation/Giraffe Conservation Foundation (2016, 2017)
Since the 1970s, the world’s population has almost doubled. At the same time, the number of animals in the world has been cut in half *2. And paper production is about 5 times *3. We believe we need regular paper options. One of the options is Fair Trade Banana Paper.
*3 Paper Industry World 2013
*1 WWF, African Wildlife Foundation, Giraffe Conservation Foundation (2016, 2017) *2 Global Footprint Network (2017) *3 Paper Industry World (2013).
