News

Indonesian palm oil company Astra Agro Lestari causes landgrabs, violence against farmers and deforestation. Therefore big companies are withdrawing as financier of AAL. We urge Unilever, ABP, FrieslandCampina, PFZW, Aegon and ABN Amro to do the same.

Rapid adoption of ambitious new regulation on deforestation-free products. This is what more than 140 civil society organisations ask from ministers in the EU. Friends of the Earth Netherlands is one of those organisations.

In a recent article in Tropical Conservation Science, a group of authors from the TBI Network and RECOFTC argue that NGOs supporting community forestry can play a role in facilitating bottom-up governance processes. This requires long-term commitments. Moreover, it requires investments in the skills of NGO practitioners to facilitate highly complex and dynamic social processes.

In its resolution of 15 September 2022, the European Parliament called for the EU and the international community to exert maximum pressure on Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities, as well as the project promoters, i.e. Total and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, to protect the environment and to put an end to the extractive activities in protected and sensitive ecosystems.

Header photo: Murchison Falls, Uganda (c) Henk Simons

In August 2022, an unprecedented gathering occurred. This was the Gaan Kuutu, a regional exchange where 26 representatives from indigenous, tribal and peasant communities in South American had the opportunity to share first hand their experiences in how to best manage their lands.

Friends of the Earth Netherlands was in Geneva to address the UN in the context of the Universal Periodic Review: the human rights exam each country has to do every five years. Together with IUCN NL and Stand Up For Your Rights we wrote a report with 3 conclusions on the Netherlands.

We call upon the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to undo certifications to Socfin, Africa's biggest plantation company. We also ask to improve on transparency in its process, recognize the climate of fear, and investigate other allegations as well. Please read below in English and French.

Ebo Forest in Cameroon is again under threat. This time for road building. We urge the international donor community to act now, prevent the destruction of this iconic forest and commit to inclusive development pathways for the Ebo communities.

In 2020, IUCN NL together with local partners carried out an investigation about informal mercury trade in different countries. Our local partner organisation CEDIB has gathered ground-breaking evidence about the informal mercury flows to and from Bolivia. They used this evidence and the media to make the public and government aware of the issue of mercury trade and push for action. CEDIB’s efforts were successful: the Bolivian government will start a national plan of action to reduce and phase out mercury.

Header photo: Landscape of the San José de Chiquitos mountain range (c) Sara Crespo-Probioma.