And Wilmar confirmed that it does not receive supplies from the disputed areas. Some, though, have continued asking if it is truly possible that Wilmar is preventing palm oil from dubious plantations from landing in products that we consume each day. They held up signs reading, "Rama - Land theft for breakfast," a reference to the company's popular margarine product. At the end of 2011, village residents driven out by palm oil production protested in front of Unilever's German headquarters in Hamburg. The conflict on Sumatra had already caused a nuissance for food giant Unilever once before. It appears pressures from Wilmar's major customers prompted the move. 5, the multinational announced it would only continue to supply palm oil that originates from sources that do not involve deforestation or the displacement of people. Instead, it has "driven residents of several villages out of their homes." In September, the company announced it would cease participation in mediation efforts.Īt the same time, Wilmar presented itself as a fully transformed company. The new owner, the World Bank mediator said, has shown "no willingness" to discuss the issue. In the conflict surrounding Asiatic Persada, Ganda Sitorus has shown few, if any, signs of social responsibility. A short time later, Wilmar moved to sell the controversial firms. At the time, Wilmar described itself as a "responsible" company. Several years ago, the non-government organization Friends of the Earth documented how Wilmar subsidiaries had been involved in deforestation activities in Borneo. The system appears to be tried and tested. Ganda Sitorus, in any case, himself a former Wilmar employee, has used his own company to create a clearinghouse for troublesome Wilmar subsidiaries that could be a threat to the publicly traded corporation's reputation. TÜV auditors now concede they acted incorrectly at the time. When it reviewed the palm oil operations, employees at German sustainability auditor TÜV Rheinland deliberately played down the clearing of settlements in an earlier report for Wilmar. Other German companies have also played a role in the conflict.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |