Banks| Dodgy Deals| Campaigns
About us| Blog| Publications| Successes| Contact us| Donate
About BankTrack
Visit us
Organisation
Our team
Our board
Guiding principles
Team up with us
Join our Active Allies list
Our annual reports
Funding and finances
History
BankTrack in the media
Our privacy policy
Donate
2021-02-24 00:00:00
Protect the climate but finance Total?
2021-02-16 00:00:00
Oil and gas financiers are staring down the barrel at $1 trillion in losses: time to rein in support for new pipelines
2021-02-11 00:00:00
Beefing up risk: the exposure of JBS’ financiers to financial, regulatory and reputational risks
2021-01-25 00:00:00
Why should banks support EU mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence?
2020-09-24 12:53:20
Oscislowo open-pit coal mine cancelled
2020-09-08 13:07:41
Strengthened OECD guidance on responsible banking
2020-02-25 10:35:27
JPMorgan Chase Coal and Arctic Policy a step forward but fails to match its climate responsibility as the world’s #1 Fossil Bank
2020-02-18 17:27:23
Civil society groups welcome Royal Bank of Scotland preparing to exit fossil fuels
Connect
2021-02-01 00:00:00
Banking on Thin Ice
2020-11-30 00:00:00
Soft Commitments, Hard Lessons: an analysis of the Soft Commodities Compact
2020-11-24 00:00:00
"Trust Us, We're Equator Banks": Part II
2020-11-18 00:00:00
Crude Risk: Risks to banks and investors from the East African Crude Oil Pipeline
2020-09-16 00:00:00
Principles for Paris-Aligned Financial Institutions: Climate Impact, Fossil Fuels and Deforestation
2020-08-17 00:00:00
"Trust Us, We're Equator Banks": Part I
See all publications
Browse
Home
Banks
Dodgy Deals
Map
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook page
Twitter channel
Home › News
World’s biggest palm oil trader responsible for illegal logging and violating Human Rights
Rabobank and Standard Chartered main European financiers
Start
Dodgy Deals

By: Milieudefensie
2007-07-03
Jakarta, Amsterdam

Contact:

IN EUROPE: Friends of the Earth International: Paul de Clerck, Tel: +32-494380959 (Belgian mobile) - Milieudefensie: Anne van Schaik, Tel: +31-629593877 (Dutch mobile) - IN INDONESIA: Rully Syumanda, Forest Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Indonesia / WALHI, Tel: + 62- 813-19966998 (Indonesian mobile number)


Share this page:

Wilmar, the world’s biggest trader in palm oil, is illegally logging rainforests, setting forests on fire and violating the rights of local communities in Indonesia, according to a new report published today by Friends of the Earth Netherlands.

Paul de Clerck, Corporates Campaigner at Friends of the Earth International, said: “This report reveals that Indonesian palm oil traded by Wilmar is scandalous and damaging the environment. Forests are being cut and burnt down illegally, Indonesian laws are being broken and local people are suffering.”

Europe is one of the world’s biggest palm oil importers, with palm oil used as an ingredient in many food products and cosmetics, and increasingly as a biofuel. Wilmar supplies multinational companies such as Unilever, Nestle and Cargill.

Rully Syumanda, Forest Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Indonesia / WALHI said “Europe's growing demand for palm oil is leading to environmental and social devastation”.

The palm oil industry has attempted to market the trade as environmentally and socially sustainable, but this report exposes these policies as hollow and inadequate. Singapore-based multinational Wilmar is a member of the industry-led Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is funded by the World Bank’s private arm as well as private European banks which have codes of conduct against unsustainable palm oil.

Rabobank and Standard Chartered Bank are the main European financers.

Anne van Schaik of Friends of the Earth Netherlands said: “Rabobank apparently has a code of conduct for financing palm oil, but absurdly this doesn’t apply to the handful of general loans that the bank gives to Wilmar. The code of conduct is therefore meaningless – boosting Rabobank’s image but doing nothing to protect against illegal deforestation.”

Milieudefensie and two Indonesian non-profit organisations investigated  three plantations of Wilmar International Ltd. on West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Specifically, the report reveals:

  • The Indonesian authorities are suing Wilmar for intentional and systematic illegal burning of forests to clear land for plantations;
  • Wilmar has violated an Indonesian law that requires approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment before palm oil development begins;
  • Wilmar is clearing forest beyond its allocated borders and without the legally required permits;
  • Wilmar has cleared areas of forest that local communities have customary rights to, without even consulting them.

Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) has filed complaints to the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil and to the private arm of the World Bank – the International Finance Corporation.

For further information see the reports:

Policy, practice, pride and prejudice
Buyers and financiers of the Wilmar group

Related Dodgy Deals

Companies

active

Wilmar International Singapore

Agriculture for Palm Oil
There are no companies active for this item now.
Browse
Home
Banks
Dodgy Deals
Map
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook page
Twitter channel
Vismarkt 15
6511 VJ Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 24 324 9220
Contact@banktrack.org
©2016 BankTrack                Webdesign by BankTrack and EASYmind
BankTrack is a registered charity in the Netherlands (ANBI) - RSIN 813874658
Find our privacy policy here

Stay up to date

Sign up now for all BankTrack's news


Make a comment

Your comment will be reviewed, before being posted