• by Frederic Mousseau
• Tuesday, May 22, 2012
• Inter Press Service

The Bunong tribe of Cambodia, the Bagyeli people of Cameroon, and the villagers of Malen Chiefdom in Sierra Leone share a common struggle against industrial plantations of oil palms and rubber by the subsidiaries of Socfin (Societe Financiere des Caoutchoucs), a company whose main shareholder is the Bolloré Group, owned by the French businessman Vincent Bolloré, writes Frederic Mousseau, policy director of The Oakland Institute.

In this article, the author writes that since 2008, resistance has been growing in each of these communities to the loss of farmland, the questionable conditions under which land concessions are awarded, and the environmental impact of the activities carried out by the various subsidiaries of the group. This is a struggle of David vs. Goliath: poor disfranchised communities vs. the giant Bolloré Group, which is present in 92 countries (including 43 in Africa) and controls not only plantations but also key strategic sectors including petroleum, transportation, logistics, and 13 African ports. A project worked out last year ­Socfin Sierra Leone­ will establish oil palm plantations on 6,500 hectares in southern Sierra Leone, with a planned extension of an additional 5,000 hectares. The project enjoys high-level government support but on the ground faces tough resistance from the local population. While claiming to be committed to sustainable development, Socfin clearly violates the principle of free, prior, and informed consent, an internationally-recognised guiding principle for such investments.

* Frederic Mousseau is policy director of The Oakland Institute.

© Inter Press Service (2012) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service