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https://www.eco-business.com/news/i...-deforestation-by-olam-worlds-largest-farmer/
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is carrying out an investigation into whether Singapore-based agribusiness giant Olam deforested more than 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres), in contravention of sustainability criteria it had signed up to, in order to develop oil palm plantations in Gabon.
The FSC investigation has taken since 2016 to begin because it has twice brought Olam and Mighty Earth together to find a mediated solution. This process resulted in Olam — described by the campaign group as the “world’s largest farmer” with commercial interests in 47 agricultural commodities across 70 countries — agreeing to a moratorium on clearing any land for plantation developments until at least 2022.
Another report published in February by the World Rainforest Movement accused Olam of making meaningless deforestation commitments and of neglecting the rights of local communities.
Simon Counsell, the former director of the Rainforest Foundation UK and now of the monitoring group FSC-Watch, told Mongabay that Olam had clearly breached FSC policy. “The FSC has no credible alternative but to disassociate from Olam and cancel all FSC certificates held by Olam group companies,” he said.
