Liberia's rubber production

New Poster Joined: Feb 26, 2009 Posts: 11

I'm trying to get a picture of the financial situation of the Firestone plantation in Liberia.
It is, however, hard to find good information.
Anyone who can tell me:
- The quantity of rubber exported from Liberia?
- Are there other producers than Firestone?
- Are the plantations around Tameque outside the original 1 million acre concession?
- Are there also private plantations supplying latex to firestones facilities in Harbel?
- The "Buchanan Renewable Energies Inc" are using old rubbertrees to make woodchips and also planting new ones. Is this not part of Firestones business (ie replanting)?

Well that's a number or questions. Hope it will start a discussion.
Greetings/Winston

New Poster Joined: Feb 26, 2009 Posts: 11

Please help me with my questions so I can finish my paper. I will then post it here. Trust me you will find it interesting!!!

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:51 am

WinstonSmith welcome to LiberianOnline.
Your's sounds like a very interesting topic. I hope someone has
the relevant information to share with us.

New Poster Joined: Feb 26, 2009 Posts: 11

Yes, hope so to. Or someone could point my nose in the right direction.

BTW, Susi, UGM (PM)

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:25 pm

I found a few articles about Firestone. Browsing through, I got
quite distressed. I had to close the windows. When I feel "Brave
Enoguh" , I will read up, and let you know what I found out, unless
you want to go direct to source yourself?

New Poster Joined: Feb 26, 2009 Posts: 11

Firestone was sued in 2005 for slavery. Have not heard of any trial yet. Big companies are skilled in delaying tactics.

I believe that the plantation workers live under slavelike conditions. It's gruesome considering Firestone started operations already in 1927. I think I've read most of the stuff on the Internet many times. Because same story apears at many sites.

Im interested in the exportvolume so that one can get a perspective on what income the plantations are generating for Firestone. It used to be available in factsheets etc, but since the civilwar it seems to be a secret.

Very grateful if you can retrieve answers to my questions.

Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:55 pm

The article I was browsing through, did not have any figures to speak of. It dwelt mainly on the child labour/ slave labour. I found it so upsetting,
I had to close the page Crying or Very sad