Liberia

Na verschillende terreinbezoeken aan plantages in Liberia en Kameroen, hebben onderzoekers aantijgingen bevestigd van seksuele intimidatie, oneigenlijk grondgebruik en oneerlijke wervingspraktijken aan het adres van het Belgisch-Luxemburgs palmoliebedrijf Socfin.

Earthworm Foundation visited the plantations run by Socfin’s subsidiaries, one in Liberia and the other in Cameroon, where communities and local and international organizations had raised serious allegations of sexual harassment, land grabs, pollution and unfair labor practices.

Socfin agrees that more needs to be done to further "reduce" communities' "concerns" and that some serious issues need immediate action

The Multi Actors Platform on Land Governance and Responsible Agricultural Investment in Liberia launches a series of programs including the Private Sector Engagement Strategy and the Responsible Agriculture Investment.

The accusation from Salala Rubber Corporation's affected communities comes as the IFC stands accused of ignoring past complaints against the corporation, which include land grabs, water pollution, and harassment.

A grievance assessment mission commissioned by Belgian oil palm and rubber company Socfin has been rejected by communities affected by the company’s operations in several African and Asian countries.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative to Liberia, Mariatou Njie, wants the government to serve as a gatekeeper in the area of agricultural investment.

Five men were arrested and beaten on accusations of stealing palm from GVL plantation, but they deny any wrongdoing.

For the past 13 years, 47-year-old farmer Saturday Wilson has been embroiled in a battle with a foreign oil palm plantation company over his farmland. It has placed him behind bars three times, but he still owns the land.

Communities say a SOCFIN subsidiary used a $10M loan from the World Bank's IFC to turn the forests where they’d farmed and held sacred rituals into a massive rubber plantation.

The Court room was parked with people from the communities who tuned out in large number to witness the hearing. After the hearing, the Petitioner were rejoicing and chanting slogans “We want our rights, we want our land”.

Residents of 22 indigenous Kpelle communities, dispossessed of their customary land, cultural sites, and livelihoods, have filed a groundbreaking legal action against the Salala Rubber Corporation (Socfin group) and the Liberian government.