– A step forward
By Daniel Nyakonah
Netherlands- Terry Doegmah Panyonnoh walks fast to get away from the cold and to catch up with the rest of the team who had come here in Amsterdam to advocate for land rights for his people in Liberia on the west coast of Africa.
Although he is a continent away, today’s advocacy is a key step in speaking out against a powerful multilateral oil palm company operating in his native Sinoe County, Liberia. He has taken his advocacy to another level by reaching out to the financers of the oil palm company.
This is a far cry from what happened to him in 2015. He was brutally arrested and jailed after he led his Butaw ccommunity protest against Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) operations. Without a trail he spent a year in prison, together with fifteen other indigenous people from Butaw.
“Friends, family members were not allowed to visit us. For three months foods prepared by families were denied. I was specifically refused medication when ill- we were mad treated in Greenville. At least in Cestos non-governmental organizations and family members were allowed to see us,” Panyonnoh lamented.
Panyonnoh is one of two land rights defenders who has left their families in the middle of rainy season when things are difficult to advocate for their ancestral land.
This is the first-time land rights defenders from Liberia have taken their campaign to European banks which are funders of oil palm companies operating in the West African State. The campaigners are hoping their face to face meetings with meanly executives of Dutch banks will end rights violation and land grab in Liberia.
“There is no land now for farming. They directly went into our sacred forest and destroyed the forest. So, the value of the sacred forest or shrine has been demolished, we no longer go there to worship or consult,” Panyonnoh said with tears in his eyes.
Responses of the Dutch Banks
Dutch Banks ABN AMBRO, Robobank and investment fund, Robeco are direct and indirect funders of oil palm companies in Liberia. Both ABN AMBRO and Robobank are providing money to Golden Agri Resources (GAR), which is the parent body of Golden Veroleum. Robeco has direct investments in all four oil palm companies in Liberia.
To address allegations of human rights abuses in areas where they are spending money, ABN AMBRO urged victims of their clients ‘operations early this year (February) to file their complaints about reported abuses in person in the Netherlands.
ABN AMRO is one group that is passionate about industrial palm oil and the sustainability of production as solution to problems in the global oil palm mega business. The bank insisted that boycotting palm oil is not realistic because it is used in a multitude of products.
Richard Kooloos, Director of Sustainability Banking at Dutch Bank, ABN AMBRO vowed that his bank will work with both the Land Rights Campaigners and Golden Agro Resources to address some of the problems growing out of the operations of Golden Veroleum in Liberia.
“We are active in the oil palm sector and we do not believe in boycotting. Palm oil is in a lot of product, what we believe in is making contribution to a sustainable palm oil sector- and how do this? We only finance these company with clear sustainability framework. Literally, hundreds of companies would like to do business with ABN AMBRO, we only do business six to seven big companies with clear sustainability framework that meets the criterium we set. When there’s an issue, we engage with these companies through their chains, the ultimate consequences are that we stop doing business,” Kooloos said.
The Bank maintained that there are no talks about boycotting or ending investments in cocoa and coffee, an industry where small holder farmers are at the very bottom of the billions in this sector.
In 2018, Milieudefensie – an environmental protection agency, issued a report that three Dutch banks invested at least 4.9 billion euros in 14 palm oil companies between 2010 and 2018. The report found the banks guilty of 118 abuses in nine countries including Liberia.
Robeco, an investment fund which finances all four palm oil production companies in Liberia, did not address accusations of degradation of sacred land neither did it talk about land grab. But, the group in written response to our questions said its focus is on preventing deforestation on plantations of palm oil producers they fund.
“Our palm oil policy that is based on compliance with the RSPO principles & criteria, we are also developing a partnership in satellite monitoring to prevent deforestation on the plantations of palm oil producers we invest in. By 31 December 2021 we expect that all companies we invest in have at minimum 50% of their plantations certified against the RSPO standard with a clear roadmap to deliver full certification in the years following this cut-off date,”,said Peter van der Werf of Robeco.
Golden Agri Resources Reaction
In its sustainability policy, GAR Social and Environmental Policy (GSEP), the Singaporean-based company, Golden Agri Resources said their investment in Golden Veroleum Liberia anticipates respect of rights of locals in areas it operates and adherence to standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
“we expect and check for compliance with our commitments and Standard Operational Procedures on community engagement and that the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent is practiced with the community. The allegations that have been brought up are part of a grievance which has been previously lodged with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO),” said Anita Neville, Senior Vice President, Group Corporate Communications, Golden Agri Resources:
The Agro mega business promised to do better.
“Amongst other things, GVL will prioritise the resolution of outstanding issues with the community. GAR is actively monitoring the implementation of the Sustainability Action Plan, and providing GVL with technical expertise and advice,” Anita Neville, Senior Vice President, Group Corporate Communications, Golden Agri Resources stated.
Panyonnoh and many others from his native Butaw are looking forward to the implementation sustainability action plan from oil palm companies operating in Liberia.
“We expect that the banks will pressure companies they fund to be responsible. Limit deforestation and ensure that rights including cultural practices of our people are preserved,” Panyonnoh concluded.