Why global manufacturing firms oppose mining in Ghana’s Atewa Forest

The Government of Ghana is seeking to mine bauxite in the Atewa Forest Reserve in a deal which will see the country benefit from $2 billion worth of infrastructure projects from the China Development Bank in exchange for the mineral.

Three global and major manufacturing firms namely, BMW Group, Tetra Pak and Schüco International are unwilling to accept bauxite mined from this forest due to the catastrophic and irreversible effects on the people and wildlife that depend on the forest.

Ghanaian environmental groups like ARocha Ghana, Wildlife Society of Ghana, Rainforest Trust, Friends of the Earth-Ghana have been piling pressure of government to stop all mining and prospecting activities in the Reserve warning of dire consequences for the country.