The Body Shop Under Fire
An ethical row has erupted after the supposedly eco- and human rights-friendly cosmetic provider The Body Shop was accused of buying palm oil from an organization that pressed for the eviction of Colombian peasant families in order to build a new palm plantation. Riot cops evicted the farming families in July.
An ethical row has erupted after the supposedly eco- and human rights-friendly cosmetic provider The Body Shop was accused of buying palm oil from an organization that pressed for the eviction of Colombian peasant families in order to build a new palm plantation. Riot cops evicted the farming families in July. J.C.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...The Guardian:
The Body Shop, the cosmetics giant that claims to source ingredients from companies that protect local farmers’ rights, buys palm oil from an organisation that pushed for the eviction of peasant families to develop a new plantation.
Daabon Organics, a Colombian firm that provides the British chain with 90% of all its palm oil, was part of a consortium that asked the courts to remove farmers from a sprawling ranch 320km north of the capital Bogotá with a plan to grow African palm. Police in riot gear evicted the farmers in July.
Now solicitors for 123 peasant farmers and their families are appealing against the decision with the backing of a British charity. They say that some locals had lived and worked on the land for more than 10 years and had already applied for the right to own it under Colombian law before the consortium bought it.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.