The sugar industry has been catastrophic for Cambodia's poor, so why are companies being honoured?

[geovalin]

In October, Bonsucro, the world’s largest association promoting responsible sugar production, presented its annual sustainability award. At a banquet and cocktail reception attended by industry insiders, the association honored Thai sugar producer Mitr Phol, one of Coca-Cola’s top three global cane suppliers, for its “exemplary work.” What Bonsucro didn’t – couldn’t – mention is that Mitr Phol is responsible for grabbing the land and ruining the lives of thousands of impoverished Cambodians.

What Bonsucro does matters. The London-based association has standards meant to ensure that its 450 members, including global brands such as Pepsi and Nestle, do not harm people and the environment, a persistent problem in the sugar industry dating back to the slave trade. It calls itself “highly robust, transparent and democratic.” Yet in honoring Mitr Phol, Bonsucro is concealing gross human rights abuses behind a façade of ethicality. In 2008, the Cambodian government granted Mitr Phol subsidiaries a 200-square-kilometer parcel of land to develop massive cane plantations in the country’s northwest. Yet more than 2,000 families already lived there, eking out a living farming rice and gathering food and medicine from the forest. They made it clear they didn’t want to leave.

No matter: police and private security forces descended on the area in stages, slashing the forests, forcibly evicting residents, bulldozing houses, torching rice fields, and beating and arresting villagers. Landless and unable to make a living, the evicted families have descended deeper into poverty. Following an investigation conducted last year, the Thai National Human Rights Commission found Mitr Phol directly responsible for the forced evictions and associated human rights violations. The land grabs led to the “collapse of the community,” commissioner Niran Phitakwatchara said at a press conference. Rarely, if ever, has a national human rights commission issued such a strong condemnation of a private company. In its final report, the Commission called upon Mitr Phol to "correct and remedy the impacts."

read more http://news.trust.org/item/20160622152147-nz9qj/

by David Pred, Inclusive Development International

[lungnorm]

Bloody Nestle again. When will the world wake up to them. THEY HAVE A BIG WATER PLAN IN THE PIPELINE TOO (PARDON THE PUN) Everyone seems to forget the baby formula scandle by Nestle 30 yrs ago. They should have been shut down then.

[lvr181]

Bloody Nestle again. When will the world wake up to them. THEY HAVE A BIG WATER PLAN IN THE PIPELINE TOO (PARDON THE PUN) Everyone seems to forget the baby formula scandle by Nestle 30 yrs ago. They should have been shut down then.

And employed people who have no control over the company lose their jobs? Not very bright thinking.

Need to think outside that square and find better solutions to the problem

And I am not defending Nestle but the lower level employees.

[SOTIRIOS]

...refined sugar is more addictive than heroin....

...and is responsible for probably 90% of prevalent medical conditions...worldwide...

...who is 'saying boo'....certainly not the medical industry....

[Sheryl]

A post with personal flame against another member has been removed.

[Sheryl]

...refined sugar is more addictive than heroin....

...and is responsible for probably 90% of prevalent medical conditions...worldwide...

...who is 'saying boo'....certainly not the medical industry....

Refined sugar is certainly bad for people (and the "medical industry" not only agrees but lobbies for measures to discourage high consumption), and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes which in turn is a risk factor for numerous chronic health problems.

But by no stretch of the imagination is sugar responsible for anything like 90% of medical conditions worldwide.