"The true price of palm oil", 7 October 2021

Global Witness went undercover to investigate the growing threat facing Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) communities and tropical forests from palm oil companies driving widespread deforestation and human rights abuses. This investigation now implicates three of PNG’s newest palm oil producers in what appears to be serious criminality and other harms. For the first time, we show how this tainted product is being sourced by world-famous brands and their business financed by iconic banks and investors:

• Palm oil executives and senior employees tell undercover Global Witness investigators they bribed officials including a Papua New Guinean government minister; paid police to brutalize villagers; used child labour; and participated in an apparent tax evasion scheme.
• The Malaysian-backed firms clear-felled tens of thousands of hectares of Papua New Guinean rainforest, which supports rural communities and is among the most biodiverse in the world.

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In its response, ENB denied bribery and corruption, writing, “We generally deny all the allegations” put to it by Global Witness. It added, “Most of your allegations are all hearsay with no accurate details”.

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Rimbunan Hijau did not respond to Global Witness’s repeated requests for its comment for this report, including a request hand-delivered to its headquarters in Papua New Guinea.

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In its response to Global Witness, Bewani said: “The allegations in your letter are factually and legally incorrect, clearly defamatory and do not represent the position of the overwhelming majority of the landowners who not only own the title to the SABL in question, but who support the oil palm development on the land concerned.”

“All land clearing activities undertaken since 2010 were conducted in strict supervision and compliance with all regulatory requirements imposed by both the PNG Forest Authority and the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority”, Bewani said.

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[The report also mentions Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Hershey, Cargill, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Reckitt Benckiser, PZ Cussons, Grupo Bimbo, Mewah Group, AAK, Stratas Foods, as well as financial institutions Malayan Banking Berhad, CalPERS, Robeco, RHB Bank Berhad, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, BlackRock, Vanguard, Kina Bank (arm of Kina Securities Ltd.), Norges Bank Investment Management, BSP Financial Group Limited, PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd, International Finance Corporation.]