{"id":1913,"date":"2016-02-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/uncategorized\/1913\/revelations-on-bollore-groups-investment-in-plantations-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T08:23:41","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:23:41","slug":"revelations-on-bollore-groups-investment-in-plantations-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/1913\/revelations-on-bollore-groups-investment-in-plantations-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Revelations on Bollor\u00e9 group\u2019s investment in plantations in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa\u2019s forests under threat<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tA new Greenpeace France investigations on Socfin, a company owned 38.75% by Bollor\u00e9 group, has revealed the impact of the company\u2019s plantations on forests, communities and wildlife in Africa;\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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The report \u2018Africa\u2019s forests under threat\u2019,<\/strong>shows that Socfin\u2019s expansion plans in a dozen countries, mostly in Africa, are threatening forests that are essential for the preservation of climate balances, biodiversity and communities livelihood and calls on\u00a0 CEO Vincent Bollor\u00e9 to immediately commit against deforestation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Africa, a new frontier for palm oil<\/strong><\/p>\n

Africa may only represent a small proportion of global palm oil production, but there is currently a run on African forests. An increasing number of investments are being made, with investors attracted by favourable climatic conditions and above all by soft regulations that are either not applied (in particular due to corruption) or that are particularly favourable to foreign investment<\/p>\n

The leading planter in Africa, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Financi\u00e8re des Caoutchoucs (Socfin) is little known to the general public but has been operating in the continent for over a century. Heading up Socfin\u2019s shareholdings are two figures of African business: Vincent Bollor\u00e9, France\u2019s ninth-richest person who remains highly active in Africa, and the Belgian businessman Hubert Fabri.<\/p>\n

Plantations that threaten the climate<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the report, Greenpeace France\u2019s investigations in Democratic Republic of Congo and Sao Tome-Principe, shows that Socfin\u2019s plantations include primary and secondary forests, that store large quantities of carbon. Furthermore, Socfin is involved in many conflicts with forest communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found that some concessions border onto unique ecosystems, as in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 where they are located next to a national park that is home to remarkable biodiversity. However, unlike its main competitors in the palm oil sector, Socfin has no policy to combat deforestation and end the land conflicts.” says C\u00e9cile Leuba, campaigner for Greenpeace France.<\/p>\n

In Sao Tome, according to Greenpeace\u2019s estimations, the total amount of carbon stored in these cleared forests exceeded 600 000 metric tons of CO2 <\/sub>equivalent. This is the equivalent of annual emissions from a small coal-fired power station.<\/p>\n

Bollor\u00e9 group\u2019s responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vincent Bollor\u00e9 must use his influence to make Socfin immediately commit to a credible zero deforestation plantation policy that respects the rights of local communities. At the same time, the Bollor\u00e9 Group must itself publish a zero deforestation policy that covers all of its investments in the sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prevent African forests from being subjected to the same fate as Indonesian or Malaysian forests, investors must immediately adopt zero deforestation policies, together with social safeguards. The Bollor\u00e9 Group cannot clear itself of its responsibility with regard to Socfin\u2019s practices.\u201d concludes C\u00e9cile Leuba.<\/p>\n

Take action to call for Zero Deforestation in the Congo Basin. Sign the petition!<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Magali Rubino \u2013 Communications officer, Greenpeace France\u00a0: 0033 7 78 41 78 78, magali.rubino@greenpeace.org