Some of the social impacts related to plantations have been identified in the Environmental Impact Assessment report released by Impacto. The main issues raised by communities were as follows:

• Land that is critical for food security and traditional life has been taken from local communities. (The Oakland Institute).
• Consultation meetings between the company and the local communities have not been held in traditional language. As a result the majority of the people was unable to understand most of the meetings. In different cases, possible impacts have not been properly outlined. In some cases, temporary jobs were promised in exchange for land, in others land has been acquired without compensation. Some people have been relocated to fields far away from roads and basic services, such as medical care. Other people have had to rent land at their own expense
• In this environment, already marked by water stress, the expansion of eucalyptus plantations will inevitably affect the surrounding areas bringing a severe decline to local agriculture, and threatening food security
• The Environmental Impact Assessment report for the Zambezia forestry project states that "communities reported elevated concern with regard to their perception of lack of land for the project implementation, occupation of lands without consent and due compensation, lack of clarity in relation to the project and the lack of transparent communication mechanisms between the company and the communities." It identifies the following socio-economic impacts: conflicts in the process of access to land, loss of agricultural areas, risk of malnourishment and malnutrition and loss of ecosystem services for communities. It also lists mitigation measures
• A local chief has forbidden community leaders to voice their concerns regarding the project, while pressure to accept the project has been reported. In some cases, temporary jobs have been promised in exchange of land, in other land has been acquired without compensation. People have been relocated to other fields far away from roads and basic services such as medical care. Others had to rent land at their own expense (Justica Ambiental).

The description of impacts on this page is sourced from the report A Land Grab for Pulp. For more information about these impacts read this report here.

The consultations held with local communities did not comply with international standard of FPIC (Free Prior and Informed Consent) as laid down in the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights. Community members told Justiça Ámbiental that only one meeting was held, at which none of them had been informed about the project, and in which potential social and environmental impacts of the project were not discussed. In other cases, communities confirmed that there had been a meeting with the company, but the majority (80%) reported that they did not understand most of the meeting, because of the language used.

Portucel should adopt a specific policy on security. Any security company that is contracted should not be implicated in past abuses. Human rights education and a strict non-violence policies should be part of core trainings. For expressions of concerns a grievance mechanism should be in place, about the security arrangements and for reporting any abuses in a confidential way, so as to ensure the security of affected people.

The plantation is expected to have adverse impacts such as pollution, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, increased risks of forest fires, modification of the aesthetic value of the landscape. It will further impact remaining forest ecosystems of miombo woodlands, and possibly fragments of afromontane and eastern African coastal forests. Both the pulp mill and plantations will be located close to the Deforestation Fronts as outlined by WWF. Landscapes will not be protected and natural forests will be converted including 114,000 ha of densely wooded 'sensitive areas' (only 10% of the area will be set-aside, mostly located in areas unsuitable for plantations). Furthermore, the conversion into plantations will displace traditional forest uses, creating more pressure on the remaining fragments of natural forests.

Roads, forest tracks and fire breaks, that come along with the project, will also impact the natural forests. To establish the Zambezia plantations, 1,200 km of forest tracks will be opened, as well as 280 km of perimeter firebreaks of 6 meters in width.