All around the world, businesses are looking to buy up land for commercial farming. But there are almost always communities already there, dependent on the land for shelter and livelihoods and with links stretching back for generations.

In Liberia, the UK company Equatorial Palm Oil have established huge plantations of oil palm, which it hopes to export for use in processed foods and toiletries around the world.

However, the residents affected by the plantations allege that the land belongs to them and was taken without their consent, leaving them without a means of earning a living. Community members who protested were beaten and the promised benefits – from compensation payments to employment opportunities to a health clinic – have not materialised.

This is just one example of a global problem, where the rights of communities are secondary to those of big corporations.

To ensure that British businesses act responsibly in their overseas operations, Traidcraft Exchange is calling on the UK government to pass a law requiring companies to assess their impact on human rights and the environment and holding those companies responsible in the courts if abuses do occur.