Land grabbing for palm oil in Sierra Leone by FIAN Belgium | 21 Feb 2019 Sierra Leone | land grabbing Since the arrival of multinational agribusiness company SOCFIN in 2011 as part of a large-scale investment in palm oil in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, social conflict has raged in the Malen Chiefdom. SOCFIN is controlled by a Belgian businessman (Hubert Fabri) and the French group Bolloré, which has developed a business empire in many parts of Africa. FIAN Belgium publishes a new report "Land Grabbing for Palm Oil in Sierra Leone : Analysis of the SOCFIN Case from a Human Rights Perspective". Since the arrival of multinational agribusiness company SOCFIN in 2011 as part of a large-scale investment in palm oil in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, social conflict has raged in the Malen Chiefdom. SOCFIN is controlled by a Belgian businessman (Hubert Fabri) and the French group Bolloré, which has developed a business empire in many parts of Africa. FIAN Belgium publishes a new report "Land Grabbing for Palm Oil in Sierra Leone : Analysis of the SOCFIN Case from a Human Rights Perspective".
Villagers in Sierra Leone ponder their future after winning their lands back from a palm oil company by WRM and GRAIN | 18 Dec 2018 Sierra Leone | United Kingdom | land grabbing Villagers in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone are celebrating. After nearly a decade of struggling against a company that grabbed their lands and erected oil palm plantations, a court has ruled that the lands must be given back to the communities. Now they are trying to figure out what they should do with the large areas of lands that have been occupied by rows and rows of oil palms. Villagers in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone are celebrating. After nearly a decade of struggling against a company that grabbed their lands and erected oil palm plantations, a court has ruled that the lands must be given back to the communities. Now they are trying to figure out what they should do with the large areas of lands that have been occupied by rows and rows of oil palms.
ING finances controversial palm oil companies in spite of sustainability policy by FIAN et al. | 23 Oct 2018 Belgium | Luxembourg | Sierra Leone | land grabbing | corporations As ING launches its sustainable investment campaign, a civil society coalition from Belgium and the Netherlands calls upon ING to clean up their act. ING’s financing of controversial palm oil companies such as SOCFIN is far from sustainable. As ING launches its sustainable investment campaign, a civil society coalition from Belgium and the Netherlands calls upon ING to clean up their act. ING’s financing of controversial palm oil companies such as SOCFIN is far from sustainable.
Press release: Women demand that oil palm companies stop violence and give back community land by Civil society organisations | 8 Mar 2018 Cameroon | Congo | Congo, the Democratic Republic of the | Gabon | Guinea | Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing On 8 March, International Women’s Day, hundreds of organizations and individuals demand an end to the violence against women living in and around large-scale oil palm plantations expansion. On 8 March, International Women’s Day, hundreds of organizations and individuals demand an end to the violence against women living in and around large-scale oil palm plantations expansion.
Police block peaceful action by women affected by SOCFIN oil palm plantation in Sierra Leone by MALOA, SILNORF, WRM, Bread for All and GRAIN | 28 Sep 2017 Luxembourg | Sierra Leone | land grabbing On September 21, 2017 about 150 to 200 women were stopped by police on their way to Pujehun to urge local authorities to take action against the Luxembourg-based oil palm plantation company SOCFIN for grabbing their lands and committing other related human rights abuses. The women were travelling from Malen Chiefdom and were stopped by road blocks set up by the police at Benga Junction, about 4 km outside of Pujehun, the capital of Pujehun District, Sierra Leone. On September 21, 2017 about 150 to 200 women were stopped by police on their way to Pujehun to urge local authorities to take action against the Luxembourg-based oil palm plantation company SOCFIN for grabbing their lands and committing other related human rights abuses. The women were travelling from Malen Chiefdom and were stopped by road blocks set up by the police at Benga Junction, about 4 km outside of Pujehun, the capital of Pujehun District, Sierra Leone.
Petition: Stop all forms of abuse against women in large monoculture tree plantations by Civil society organisations | 25 Sep 2017 Cameroon | Congo, the Democratic Republic of the | Gabon | Guinea | Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing On occasion of September 21st, International day of Struggle against Tree Plantations, women from several countries from West and Central Africa have taken the initiative to release simultaneously the petition we enclose below. On occasion of September 21st, International day of Struggle against Tree Plantations, women from several countries from West and Central Africa have taken the initiative to release simultaneously the petition we enclose below.
Port Loko Declaration: Women say “We want our lands back!” by Civil society organisations | 4 Sep 2017 Sierra Leone | land grabbing We, Women want our land and forests back so that we can have an agriculture that feeds us. We want a change that allows us to provide livelihoods that allow for good, healthy lives in dignity for our communities. We, Women want our land and forests back so that we can have an agriculture that feeds us. We want a change that allows us to provide livelihoods that allow for good, healthy lives in dignity for our communities.
#OccupySocfinBolloré: Overview of international mobilisation at Socfin and Bolloré headquarters by GRAIN | 9 Jun 2016 Cambodia | Cameroon | Sierra Leone | land grabbing | corporations | Cote d'Ivoire | Liberia On 1 and 3 June, protestors occupied the headquarters of Socfin (Luxembourg) and Bolloré (Paris) demanding that the two companies respect the rights of local communities. Socfin and Bolloré have agricultural investments in several countries in Asia and Africa, primarily for oil palm plantations. See an overview of the days' mobilisations, which were live-tweeted by GRAIN and others. On 1 and 3 June, protestors occupied the headquarters of Socfin (Luxembourg) and Bolloré (Paris) demanding that the two companies respect the rights of local communities. Socfin and Bolloré have agricultural investments in several countries in Asia and Africa, primarily for oil palm plantations. See an overview of the days' mobilisations, which were live-tweeted by GRAIN and others.
Global resistance to land grabs by Bolloré and Socfin by ReAct | 22 Apr 2015 Cambodia | Cameroon | Cote d'Ivoire | Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire
Willful blindness: how the World Bank’s 'Doing Business' rankings impoverish smallholder farmers by Oakland Institute et al | 10 Apr 2014 Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing As the spring meetings of the World Bank get underway in Washington, DC, 180 organizations, including NGOs, unions, and farmer and consumer groups from over 80 countries, demand that the World Bank end its Doing Business rankings and its support of the rampant theft of land and resources from some of the world’s poorest people -- farmers, pastoralists, and indigenous communities, many of whom are essential food producers for the entire planet. As the spring meetings of the World Bank get underway in Washington, DC, 180 organizations, including NGOs, unions, and farmer and consumer groups from over 80 countries, demand that the World Bank end its Doing Business rankings and its support of the rampant theft of land and resources from some of the world’s poorest people -- farmers, pastoralists, and indigenous communities, many of whom are essential food producers for the entire planet.
The dark side of "sustainable" investments by Brot für alle | 3 Dec 2011 Sierra Leone | land grabbing Groups that are interested and organising to stop land grabs from the "home base" of the land grabbers might want to look at this very well done report from Brot für Alle, about what the Swiss energy giant Addax is doing in Sierra Leone. Groups that are interested and organising to stop land grabs from the "home base" of the land grabbers might want to look at this very well done report from Brot für Alle, about what the Swiss energy giant Addax is doing in Sierra Leone.