Maasai International Solidarity Alliance | 11 March 2025Tanzania: Carbon projects undermine Maasai land rights
(Aachen, Göttingen, Cologne, 11 March 2025) A study published today by the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA) - whose members include the aid organisation Misereor, the human rights organisation FIAN and the Society for Threatened Peoples - shows the problematic effects of international projects that are supposed to serve climate protection through carbon offsetting. The land and human rights of the Maasai, an indigenous East African ethnic group, are under massive pressure.
The study documents the impact of two large-scale carbon projects on the nomadic Maasai ethnic group in northern Tanzania. Numerous serious abuses were identified: dubious advance payments to villages, non-transparent and in some cases illegal contract conclusions and disregard for international legal norms - particularly with regard to the participation of the local population. This is severely limited and many community members lack basic knowledge about carbon markets, contract terms and their consequences. As a result, communities are increasingly losing control over their traditional grazing land and are no longer able to carry out centuries-old practices that are vital to their survival.
Climate protection projects in conflict with local tradition
Traditionally, the Maasai's grazing routes are based on the availability of water, the changing dry seasons and the migrations of their grazing animals.The grazing patterns and mobility of the Maasai not only form a central pillar of their traditional culture, but also make a sustainable, positive contribution to the conservation and resilience of the dry grazing areas.The two new carbon projects mean that the Maasai must now subordinate themselves to carbon storage - in some cases for a period of up to 40 years. "The new requirements of the carbon projects make traditional grazing practices impossible. We are therefore calling for an immediate halt to the projects," warns Roman Herre, agricultural officer at the human rights organisation FIAN.
Land grabbing threatens environmentally friendly Maasai practice
The two projects under investigation are competing for grazing land in Tanzania for their carbon programmes. The aim here is to store additional carbon in the soil through changes in pastureland utilisation, thereby offsetting carbon emissions. One of the projects is financed by Volkswagen and covers almost one million hectares - an area roughly half the size of Hesse. "The Maasai live there in harmony with nature: with their deep-rooted knowledge, they preserve the landscape and protect the unique biodiversity for future generations," emphasises Sarah Reinke, Head of Human Rights Work at the STP.
Sustainability without responsibility: Volkswagen criticised
Previous talks between Volkswagen and the Maasai's lawyers on the consideration of their rights and interests have remained largely unsuccessful. Despite expressing considerable concerns, Volkswagen has not provided any substantial answers. "It is essential that companies not only make sustainability promises, but also play an active role in solving these problems. We demand that German companies such as Volkswagen do not jeopardise land and human rights in the name of sustainability. This includes transparently involving the local population in their project planning from the outset and not shirking their corporate responsibility," demands Selina Wiredu, Africa Policy Officer at Misereor.
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