A source of water, food, and shelter the Congo Basin is life to many people and creatures. It is one of the world's largest tropical forests and is the fourth largest carbon reservoir in the world - meaning it locks away vast amounts of carbon. In addition it supports millions of people and is the leafy home of gorillas, forest elephants and the chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees at Mefou Primate Sanctuary near Yaounde. Apes are under threat all over the Congo basin due to forest conversion to industrial agriculture projects. Ape Action Africa is a non-profit NGO founded in 1996 dedicated to the conservation of endangered gorillas and chimpanzees, threatened by the bushmeat trade in Central and West Africa. Ape Action Africa manages the rescue and rehabilitation of great apes across much of Cameroon, with a large sanctuary in the Mefou forest.

The Congo Basin constitutes one of the world’s largest Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs). IFLs are large undisturbed areas of the forest ecosystems not subjected to human activities except some areas affected by low-intensity and historic human activities, such as small-scale shifting cultivation and grazing.

Aerial viewpoint of forests. As industrial agricultural techniques spread into Africa, and especially into forests of the Congo Basin, Greenpeace identifies farming alternatives that can both benefit farmers, consumers and to the protection of natural resources.

A few days before the FSC General Assembly starts in Vancouver, Greenpeace has released a report highlighting how important it is for FSC to maintain its commitment to protect Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs). The report shows dramatic IFL loss in the Congo Basin region, including by FSC certified companies operating there, and highlights the efforts some of these companies are making to undermine IFL protections.

As industrial agricultural techniques spread into Africa, and especially into forests of the Congo Basin, Greenpeace identifies farming alternatives that can both benefit farmers, consumers and to the protection of natural resources.

If nothing is done to stop the loss of IFL, not only will wildlife suffer from the increased fragmentation of intact forests, but carbon storage will be reduced, forest fires may increase, and the forests’ resilience to climate change will be damaged. IFL loss may also displace forest peoples who have lived in these areas for thousands of years.

In 2014 FSC made the landmark decision to protect the “vast majority” of IFLs in FSC certified concessions, positioning itself as a global leader in forest conservation. However, companies operating in the Congo Basin, such as Danzer, Precious Woods and OLAM, are doing their best to maintain access to these IFLs, by undermining this landmark decision and questioning the protection of IFLs. Already 1,3 million hectares of IFLs have been lost in currently certified FSC concessions and over one million more could be lost if these companies get their way.

In face of the huge threats in the Congo Basin forest, and the long history of broken promises and dreams, people from all over central Africa are standing up for forest protection and for the right to take back their lives, culture and future. To support this movement and spread it along the Congo Basin, the Esperanza ship, the largest of the Greenpeace fleet, will sail the coast of Central Africa from October 13 to November 10 2017 with the aim of connecting people to resist against forest destruction.