Deal #1999 Version #56551

Community leaders say the land was taken from them illegally and that they never gave their consent for Feronia to operate there and did not agree to the negotiated terms. Community members wish to start the negotiation phase with the company. On March 8, 2015, over 60 customary chiefs and other community leaders gathered in the town of Mozité to call for the resolution of their longstanding grievances against Feronia.

The local community state that the land was illegally taken from them and reject the project. The communities claim that the title deeds for the land are falsified to represent Feronia as the legal owners. One report states that the community suffer from intimidation from the police if they protest against the project. The company response to intimidation is that the company has a whistleblower policy in place and is developing a community grievance mechanism. The community is fighting back, claiming their lands back.

The company prevents local people from raising livestock or farming within the company's concession, even on lands that the company has abandoned. Community members caught by company guards carrying just a few nuts fallen from the oil palms are fined or, in many cases, whipped, hand cuffed and taken to the nearest prison. One report states that the number of displaced villagers are 45000.

No compensation has been paid to date (2015). Communities are demanding that compensation occurs. Unilever originally promised to hand one plantation out of every three back to the community.

Feronia announced at the end of 2014 that it wanted to "engage with local communities in the development of new facilities meet their daily needs". To date the communities have not seen any of the stated benefits. US$3.6m has been ring-fenced to support the company to strengthen business standards and enhance community facilities -- this includes: refurbishment of the housing and sanitation available to workers; a road maintenance program to update the infrastructure on Feronia land that all local people can use; appointing new health & safety staff and community relations managers; undertaking a comprehensive study of the needs of workers and the local community; a new grievance procedure for workers and community; and land mapping to clearly mark out where the company's land extends.