A new report by Human Rights Watch entitled "A Dirty Investment" alleges workers on Feronia-owned palm oil plantations in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been exposed to hazardous pesticides, which causes health problems, and suffer abusive employment practices, including receiving wages that drive extreme poverty levels. The report also claims that the European investment banks that fund Feronia - CDC Group from the United Kingdom; BIO from Belgium; DEG from Germany; and FMO from the Netherlands - had failed to meet their obligation to ensure that the companies they finance are not engaged in human rights abuses.

The four banks released a joint statement in response to the report, both available below. The BBC and Aljazeera articles includes comments from Feronia.