On 23rd October 2018 a public action took place at the head office of ING in Brussels to denounce ING investments in the controversial sector of palm oil industry.
This action was initiated by a group of international NGOs based in Brussels supported by Milieudefensie Netherlands. It aimed at obtaining commitments from ING and canceling the new loan of 15 million euros to SOCFIN accused of human rights violations in the palm oil plantations. The goal was to participate in the construction of a balance of power favorable to the abandonment of the loan (and the questioning of previous financing).
The message of the action is that ING does not respect its own environmental and social risk policy. The bank Continues to Support Land-grabbing activities with Serious Impacts on Farmers’ Human Rights despite the evidence provided by civil society.
Representatives of local communities in Sierra Leone were also present. A representative of the MALOA organization defending the rights of communities affected by SOCFIN in Sierra Leone testifies: “SOCFIN arrived in 2011 and has captured 18,000 ha of our land. Our leaders did not have a choice. Now our villages are surrounded by palm trees. We have no more land to grow our food. We have no money left to send our children to school. Our leaders are criminalized and many young people are in prison because they are wrongly accused of stealing palm nuts. ”
As a customer, employee and / or citizen concerned about such investments, you can send a message to ING at: http://greenwash-ing.be/
