during periods when the threats subsided and the paramilitary gunmen didn’t show up nights in the village of Panamá were peaceful People meandered freely through the dirt roads of the community reoccupied African palm plantations on the remote northern coast of Honduras They played soccer or lounged about mom-and-pop stores to drink beers sauntering around with assault weapons and bulletproof vests They were the same gunmen accused of killing more than a dozen members of the land rights cooperative since 2018 Panamá is one of several villages in northern Honduras that have faced repeated waves of violence allegedly linked to the Dinant Holding Corporation a Central American African palm oil and consumer goods company Dinant benefited from a $30 million dollar loan to develop its plantations from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation even though the company was linked to waves of violence against land defenders in the Bajo Aguán Valley region of Honduras alleging that the lender was liable for allowing its money to finance violent actors implicated in human rights abuses and killings the IFC will pay nearly $5 million in reparations to 13 anonymous plaintiffs from the Bajo Aguán Valley who filed for damages after allegedly losing lost loved ones to gunmen linked to Dinant failed to give local communities prior and informed consultation and human rights abuses and homicides “The IFC agreed to settle the […] IFC lawsuit without any admission or concession of wrongdoing Dinant categorically denies the baseless allegations made in the lawsuit and no credible evidence has been presented to support claims against the company,” said Roger Pineda Pinel Dinant’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability The power plant negatively impacted a biodiverse mangrove estuary that local fishers had depended on for their livelihood the bank has never been forced to pay compensation as a result of its actions are satisfied with the agreement,” one of the victims said in a statement from EarthRights International which litigated the case on behalf of the plaintiffs we hope that armed violence will cease to be a tool in the areas around the world where the institutions financed by the IFC defendants operate But the reparations are still “not enough,” said Karla Zelaya a land defender from the region who has sought asylum in the U.S No amount of money is going to bring back our compañeros … At least we can say this is a new precedent The bank violated the principles for which it was created: to fight poverty they did the opposite; they gave money to a company drenched in blood of innocent campesinos.” the World Bank Group decided to loan $30 million to the Dinant Corporation drug trafficking trial of the son of a former president indicated that Facussé’s properties in the Aguán Valley were being used to land planes loaded with cocaine Critics from rights groups pointed to allegations of fraud and intimidation surrounding the company’s initial acquisition of its industrial-scale palm plantations Dinant (then known as the Cressida Corporation) and other agro-industrial corporations seized cooperative lands amid World Bank-sponsored structural adjustment measures which made it easier to sell agrarian reform lands “There’s something that’s never been cleared up — they’ve never proved the legality of their land titles,” George Redman who has accompanied farmer groups in the region since 2012 Dinant has never made public original legal titles to the land it obtained in the 1990s Over the next five years, as farmer groups staged massive land occupations in defiance of Dinant and other agro-industrial corporations as well as the government that took power in the coup about 150 campesinos were killed or disappeared across the several-thousand-hectare industrial palm plantations One report indicated the majority of the killings were targeted, reminiscent of “death squad activity,” carried out by private security forces contracted by Dinant in collusion with military special forces and police units, according to author Annie Bird. A 2013 report by Human Rights Watch examining 29 killings as a cross-section of the wider killing spree suggested that “in 13 of the murders there are indications of involvement by private security guards.” It was “this massive wave of targeted assassinations of those who defend the land and water,” Zelaya said “And we were in a state of total defenselessness.” Some rights activists note the correlation between the World Bank loan and subsequent killing spree. “With World Bank money, the Dinant Corporation was able to take all this land through violence,” said Eslie Banegas, a land rights activist whose son was murdered in 2016 and whose name appeared on a military hit list leaked that same year “The Dinant Corporation managed to steal lots of territory,” said Yoni Rivas “And the World Bank was able to finance that including when they were killing all these land and water defenders.” Dinant security guards or its third party security contractor,” and deemed the IFC “did not adequately supervise” Dinant in required measures to mitigate abuse by its security operatives alleging Dinant funded “paramilitary death squads and hired assassins” to quash opposition while consolidating its hold over its plantations the judge granted anonymity for the plaintiffs on account of the continued danger in Aguán Valley The process of developing the case dragged on for years “All of these companies and institutions throw up so many barriers and obstacles to litigation that they put up roadblocks for a decade,” said Vahlsing She argued that companies involved in human rights and their financiers bank on the hope that plaintiffs lose resources and energy “They can fight you on procedure as long as they can.” In the wake of CAO’s report, Dinant’s official security strategy was overhauled. They ceased contracting Orion private security — the military-linked firm that was denounced in 2012 by the U.N working group on mercenaries as one of the most egregious human rights offenders — disarmed their remaining guards subjected them to highly publicized human rights training and invited uniformed soldiers to guard their plantations residents began to allege that the emerging paramilitary was tied to Dinant security operatives with the goal of terrorizing the land rights movements The presence of these informal armed groups became even more clear to Vahlsing when she was interviewing land defender and community leader José Ángel Flores about Dinant-linked repression in February 2016 in La Confianza They could hear bursts of automatic gunfire which Angel Flores alleged came from a death squad called the Grupo de Celio attempting to intimidate them Ángel Flores wasn’t the only land defender who predicted his own murder as an array of paramilitary groups with ties to military and former Dinant security operatives sprouted throughout the region was photographed with military operatives and was accused of support from local security forces with surveilling villages known for land rights organizing When the soldiers left the community in 2018 Hipolito or ‘Polo’ Rivas was a beloved leader and went on record in 2021 to denounce the military for arming the paramilitary group it’ll be the Dinant Corporation,’” said Zelaya who pointed out that he had delivered multiple complaints against the company Rivas and his son Javier were assassinated in the nearby village of Ilanga because you tried to fight for justice,” said one resident of Panamá and a relative of Rivas “But there was a group of sicarios that the Dinant Corporation sent And they followed through with the threats Fighting people … it’s hard to see the people you love fall that we all wanted to do as a cooperative.” Fifteen years after the World Bank investment land defenders contesting territories with Dinant — as well as those resisting a mining project also linked to the Facussé family — continue to be murdered “Dinant categorically denies the unfounded claim that the Company or its leadership has financed any armed groups including ‘Los Cachos.’ This accusation is entirely fabricated with no supporting evidence,” Pineda Pinel told Mongabay He added that numerous independent investigations including by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Honduras’ Public Ministry and the International Criminal Court “have consistently found no evidence to substantiate claims of human rights violations by Dinant.” the reparations are admirable but still not enough “There’s going to be some reparations,” Banegas told Mongabay It doesn’t fix the damage that’s already been done.” and remains committed to the well-being and prosperity of the communities in which it operates.” Banner image: Campesino farmers carry out the exhausting work of loading harvested African palm fruit on the Remolinos palm plantation in the remote Aguán Valley region of northern Honduras FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page. The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa, as protected areas become battlegrounds over history, human rights, and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss. Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins, and trying to forge a path forward […] Scopes arrested for teaching evolution in TN public schools HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to Belgium The unusual Belgian water race attracts participants from all over the world dozens of self-proclaimed captains lead their bathtub crafts along the Meuse River La Régate Internationale de Baignoires takes place annually in Dinant it has grown from a local event to an international gathering The rules of the water race are extremely simple Every team must show their craft to take part in the competition The craft must consist of at least one bathtub and no motor—it must be driven by human or natural powers The rest is totally up to captains—they can decorate their crafts and enhance them with elements that increase their floating abilities The size of a team also doesn't matter: it could be one man leading a tub or a crew of ten people Around 50 teams show up to compete annually They decorate their tubs with a certain theme that changes every year prizes are presented for the tubs adorned with the most vibrant decorations and those that most effectively align with the yearly theme captains should be careful and not overload their crafts with decorations as teams are expected to complete a distance of 0.6 mi (1 km) down the river Participants must also show respect to one another: the rules forbid attempts to sink other racers and their crafts The Dinant International Bathtub Regatta attracts spectators from near and far who gather along the riverbanks to cheer on the participants and enjoy the display This event is more like a parade than a race Participants occasionally dress up in funny costumes to amuse themselves and the spectators and sometimes fall overboard Tub sailors and spectators are free to attend the regatta up to 25,000 people gather at Boulevard des Souverains on the banks of the river to observe this funny and absurd regatta People take part in the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant, Belgium, Aug. 15, 2024. Starting in 1982, participants vie to create the most impressive bathtub-based craft and compete down the Meuse River in Dinant on Aug. 15 each year. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) People watch the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant, Belgium, Aug. 15, 2024. Copyright © 2022 ALM Media Properties, LLC. A US court has approved the plan to compensate victims of a violent land-grabbing campaign that plaintiffs argued was aided and abetted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). court has approved a settlement that ends a class action brought against the World Bank's lending arm for financing a company that allegedly terrorized local families in Honduras to expand its palm oil operations which brought the case alongside independent lawyers argued that the International Finance Corporation should have known that its financing of Corporación Dinant was abetting murder and other serious abuses in the Bajo Aguán region of Honduras Litigation Daily National Law Journal The American Lawyer Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc Read More Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment Read More Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls Read More a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement Read More Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase Read More Already have an account? Sign In ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, TOURISMPaddlers take to the water for Dinant's annual bathtub regatta16 August 2024 The Dinant International Bathtub Regatta took place on Thursday afternoon with 42 boats and around 15,000 spectators The traditional event sees participants paddle 1km along the Meuse river in a decorated homemade boat “It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many baths,” said organiser Julien Dolhet The theme of the 42nd edition was “Tour of Belgium” chocolate and other famous Belgian products and faces we have to find the next theme,” said Julien Dolhet of the organising committee we decided that Belgium has a lot to offer in terms of culture Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu IFC's Asset Management Company would have to pay $5 million in settlement the trouble with IMF’s quota funding increase I’ve spent the past week baking an assortment of cookies and treats I’m now ready to dive back into work — and contemplate what the year ahead might bring in the realm of development finance We’ll be tracking the continued changes at development finance institutions, debates about what’s going well and what’s not, and how the reform of multilateral development banks is playing out. What are you expecting? What should we cover in the year ahead? Please let us know by emailing me at adva.saldinger@devex.com To kick off the year, I have a story about the first time the International Finance Corporation settled a lawsuit brought by a community alleging that it was harmed by an investment • It stems from a 2009 IFC investment to Corporación Dinant a group of Honduran farmers allege that Dinant forced people off their land and murdered community members; and claim that IFC’s Asset Management Company profited from those actions • Dinant tells Devex that it denies all of the allegations in the lawsuit which it called “completely meritless,” and said it is committed to respecting human rights most of which will go to support community programs that will be managed by an independent third party An IFC spokesperson tells me that neither IFC nor AMC “has admitted to any wrongdoing or agreed to any remedial action as part of the settlement agreement.” • While the farmers are “happy that there has been a resolution,” they also think it took too long and never should have had to go to court one of the EarthRights International lawyers representing the farmers • This settlement comes at a time when IFC is adopting a new approach to remedial action which will govern what happens when something goes wrong with its investments. The draft policy has come under fire from advocates who say it lacks critical details doesn’t include a mechanism for IFC to pay for harm and is vague on which “exceptional” circumstances may result in remedies Read: Honduran farmers, IFC settle suit alleging violence linked to investment ICYMI: IFC policy for when projects cause harm lambasted as letdown What’s ahead: The World Economic Forum annual meeting is just around the corner, and for our Pro members, we have a rundown of key moments in global development we’re following this year + Join us on Jan. 10 for the first Devex Pro event of the year — an “ask me anything” session with our president and get exclusive insights into the key global development trends to expect in 2024 Not a Pro member yet? Sign up for a 15-day risk-free trial and access all our exclusive content $41 billion — That’s the size of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s portfolio across 112 countries That’s up significantly from when the agency was founded in 2019; its predecessor had a $29 billion cap $669 billion — That’s how much money flowed in remittances to low- and middle-income countries in 2023, up about 3.8% from the previous year. Not quite the growth seen in the past two years, but still an upward trend, according to new World Bank statistics The COVID-19 pandemic saw many donors emphasize the need to boost Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity But Devex’s senior global health reporter Sara Jerving finds that there are still myriad obstacles to getting more medicines produced in Africa From competing on price with foreign companies that benefit from economies of scale to a disjointed continental regulatory regime, and accessing affordable finance, major hurdles remain But there is optimism the continent is heading in the right direction with a path that includes taking a regional approach to manufacturing Read: Why African pharmaceutical manufacturers struggle for sustainability (Pro) the International Monetary Fund board of governors approved a 50% quota funding increase which it says will shift its reliance more to permanent resources rather than borrowed funds What it didn’t do is change the quotas or shares that different countries have — an issue that has become politically contentious particularly as the United States looks to prevent China and Brazil from increasing their shareholding But Emma Burgisser and Chiara Mariotti argue that IMF’s governance is out of date and concentrates too much voting power in the hands of higher-income countries “This system further concentrates the power imbalances that characterize the global economy,” they write in an opinion piece for Devex There were hopes that the recently completed quota review would make changes but they write that it “spectacularly failed.” Opinion: IMF rules continue to be rigged against the world’s poorest Senior Finance ManagerDexis Consulting GroupUnited States Find more jobs → Many countries will need to continue to contend with weighty debt burdens this year But could there be some lessons in the recently completed debt relief for Somalia under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative HIPC was designed for another era of debt distress but helped reduce Somalia’s external debt from about $5.3 billion in 2018 to $700 million Alexia Latortue, assistant secretary of international trade and development for the U.S. Treasury Department, dives into the details of the complex effort to reduce debt in the climate-vulnerable country in an opinion piece for Devex “It shows that when we move forward together with commitments and support linked to reforms With clear rules and a common understanding we can leverage goodwill to deliver transformational changes that translate into benefits that can change people’s lives,” she writes Opinion: How Somalia’s historic debt relief achievement came about Open Society Foundations is expected to reveal its new structure in 2024. How will it work? [Devex Pro] Argentina pulls out of plans to join the BRICS bloc. [BBC] West African Development Bank announces that Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa acquired an equity interest. [African Business] What does climate vulnerability mean for the Caribbean? [Devex] Ethiopia becomes Africa's latest sovereign default. [Reuters] A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us. has established itself as one of Belgium's most popular tourist destinations thanks to its huge saxophones and natural and historical wonders Dinant is located in the French-speaking Walloon region of Belgium about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the capital Brussels On one side of the river is the Notre Dame Church which was built in the Gothic architectural style in the 1200s which rises on a rock block behind the church and dates back to 1051 and the church appear in a natural unity and symmetry which goes up to the castle right next to the church provides the visitors an opportunity to enjoy the unique view and restaurants along the promenade of the river Boat tours are often organized on the river Dinant is known for being the hometown of Adolphe Sax Giant saxophones built in memory of Sax can be found in every corner of the city the colorful ones on the historical bridge that connects the two sides of the Meuse River stand out the most There is also a museum which was built on the site of the house where Sax was born in 1814 The museum's doors are open to the public 24 hours a day and free of charge tells the history and features of the eight-wind musical instrument that its inventor patented in 1846 under the name "saxophone." The first saxophone produced by Sax is also on display in the museum Many previously less-known European cities started to welcome a growing number of Chinese travelers this summer 26 (Xinhua) -- As Europe continues to attract Chinese tourists this summer a growing number of Chinese travelers preferred less-touristy destinations and opted for slow and immersive travel has seen a significant increase in Chinese tourists director of corporate communications at the Croatian National Tourist Board said that 96,700 Chinese tourists had visited Croatia by Aug the prominent tourist destination in southern Croatia the capital city of Zagreb and the second-largest city of Split have been particularly popular Mamic noted that although the tourist number has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels Albania is also gaining popularity among Chinese travelers According to Albania's Ministry of Tourism 13,000 Chinese visited the country between January and July this year attributed this rise to the country's rich cultural history and affordable travel options Apart from changing their preferred destinations Chinese tourists now favor slow and immersive travel over the previously fast-paced and intense style of tourism known as the "Venice of the North" for its serene waterways and picturesque landscape Chinese tourists are increasingly favoring longer stays and cultural immersion said most Chinese tourists opted for independent travel now staying longer and more eager to immerse themselves in the local culture a scenic tiny town along the Meuse River and the birthplace of the saxophone European countries are adjusting their services Dinant has introduced Chinese-language signage and increased its presence on popular Chinese travel platforms has said he noticed that the number of Chinese tourists visiting the town has significantly increased in recent years The Czech Republic has seen a 125.7 percent rise in Chinese tourists this year partly due to the resumption of direct flights between Beijing and Prague has noted that tourism in the country has returned to pre-COVID levels The CzechTourism has also invited Chinese influencers to showcase local culture and attractions to a wider audience the Helsinki Airport has enhanced its services for Chinese travelers offering Chinese-language signage and accepting payment methods like Alipay a state-owned company managing and operating 20 airports around the country confirmed ongoing negotiations with Chinese airlines on Friday to expand flight connections previously off the radar for most Chinese travelers The capital city of Vilnius is known for its well-preserved medieval old town which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site Tourist companies are considering adding Chinese-language services Athens International Airport has also added Chinese-language signs and introduced two robots that provide services in Chinese to adapt to the growing influx of Chinese tourists. ■ A new lawsuit alleges that the IFC aided a campaign of terror against peasants in Honduras who tried to block a palm oil company’s expansion court alleges that the World Bank Group aided a campaign of terror against peasants who have tried to block a powerful Honduran palm oil company’s expansion of its industrial-scale plantations The suit accuses the bank’s business-lending arm, the International Finance Corporation, of “knowingly profiting from the financing of murder” by supporting the Dinant Corporation during a bloody land war in which the agribusiness conglomerate’s security forces allegedly murdered and assaulted local farmers. The case was filed in U.S a nongovernmental organization concerned with human rights and environmental issues The suit on behalf of 17 Honduran farmers and their family members claims that Dinant hired “paramilitary death squads and private assassins” to eliminate opponents in the struggle over land rights in the Bajo Aguan region of northern Honduras It alleges that the IFC “provided critical capital funding and moral cover” to Dinant even though it knew – or had reason to know – that Dinant was targeting peasants with threats and violence The IFC referred the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to a webpage with previous press statements on its relationship with Dinant which did not address the lawsuit filed Tuesday The IFC has acknowledged that its handling of investments in Dinant was flawed but has pointed to steps it has taken to reduce violence in Bajo Aguan such as persuading Dinant to disarm security guards on its plantations and initiating a mediation process between the company and peasant organizations Dinant spokesman Roger Pineda criticized ICIJ’s questions to the company which asked for Dinant’s reaction to allegations made in the legal complaint “I am sorry that so little respect is felt for Dinant’s more than 8,000 employees its shareholders and the communities that work with us as to imply such blatant falsehoods,” Pineda said via email When pressed by ICIJ for a response to the substance of the charges, Pineda replied: “You have our response. And we expect you quote it, entirely.” (See the full email exchange between ICIJ and Dinant here.) The case is a civil lawsuit seeking a finding of liability against the IFC and a subsidiary Although no criminal penalties are at stake it is the first time that communities affected by World Bank Group projects have accused the bank of criminal conduct but it is accused in the suit of crimes including wrongful death Seven of the plaintiffs are family members of peasants who allegedly were killed by security forces linked to Dinant a professor at the University of Miami School of Law who specializes in international human rights law said a central issue that would determine the lawsuit’s success was its challenge to the IFC’s claims of immunity A previous case filed by EarthRights involving an IFC investment in India was dismissed by a federal court due to the IFC’s immunity privileges which are similar to those enjoyed by foreign governments EarthRights has appealed that decision to a higher court “I think the India case is likely to be highly influential in the court’s decision on this case,” Bettinger-Lopez said She said a key question would be “whether the immunity arguments made in the case differ from the immunity arguments made in the India case.” One notable distinction between the cases is that the Dinant case names the IFC subsidiary does not enjoy the same immunity as the IFC The Huffington Post and other media partners that found that development projects financed by the World Bank Group had physically or economically displaced an estimated 3.4 million people over the previous decade Earthrights’ lawsuit challenges the prevalent view that the land conflict in Bajo Aguan involved violence on both sides The suit recounts cases in which peasants were allegedly shot down in their homes or their fields or while traveling on their bicycles the lawsuit claims that Dinant guards opened fire on a group of women and children who were sheltering on government property that belonged to Honduras’ National Agrarian Institute after being driven from their homes by floods A statement by the National Agrarian Institute issued after the incident condemned “acts of violence against defenseless persons” by Dinant’s guards While the substantial majority of the victims of Bajo Aguan’s land conflict have been peasants, there are reports that the peasant movements have acted violently as well. In one 2011 incident detailed in a report by Human Rights Watch four Dinant security guards and a Dinant farmworker were allegedly murdered by peasants attempting to forcibly take over a plantation The farmworker had been tortured and his ears had been sliced off The violence in Bajo Aguan had subsided in recent years after the conflict But there are signs that it may be increasing again In October 2016 two leaders of the peasant rights organization MUCA were shot and killed by a “paramilitary death squad,” according the lawsuit The suit says the attackers shot one of the MUCA’s leaders in front of the group’s office and then pursued the group’s president Flores was shot dead as he tried climb over a wire fence Read more about the impact from ICIJ’s investigations, and find out how you can support ICIJ’s work Find out first! Receive ICIJ’s investigations by email 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dinant increased its investment in local communities throughout Honduras in 2022 providing a range of support from repairing schools and donating food and cleaning supplies to providing human rights training and planting trees Dinant’s Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainability “Dinant has invested extensively in health and nutrition environmental sustainability and philanthropy for local communities in 2022 benefitting nearly 44,000 people in Honduras “It has been an exceptionally busy year for our dedicated teams of social workers who are based at the heart of neighboring communities The partnerships we have formed with local people have improved the living standards of thousands of Hondurans Dinant’s products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic The Company directly employs 7,800 people who in turn support approximately 22,000 family members This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporacion Dinant Additional information is available at the Department of Justice Dinant is helping employees who might be unable to raise the 5% deposit to participate in Convivienda “This important project will significantly improve the quality of life of hundreds of our employees Owning a home is a dream come true for many hard-working Honduran families I am delighted that Dinant is partnering with BANHPROVI and President Hernandez’ Convivienda initiative to contribute to the construction of an increasingly inclusive Phase 2 of the project – allocating lots of over 170 square meters – will soon be available for purchase under the Convivienda scheme to approximately 200 Dinant employees who live and work in the Aguan region About Corporación Dinant This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporación Dinant  Additional information is available at the Department of Justice rest after playing soccer in the recuperated lands of the El Chile cooperative Alongside the dirt road sit small wooden structures they have roofs made of sheet metal and palm leaves They call these shelters Champitas, occupied by hundreds of campesino families to defend the recuperation of these lands from the hands of the oil palm industry In the 1970’s these lands were designated to the agrarian reform and during the 1990’s land grabbed by Corporación Dinant The resistance has been daily for sixteen months now but the struggle for these lands has a much longer history a young 26-year-old woman and single mother who showed us the land recuperation carried out by the cooperative El Chile explains the reasons for their presence: “We are children who were negatively affected by the dispossession of the lands from the agrarian reform,” she explains about the legitimacy of their actions She refers to the dispossession caused by the oil palm agroindustrialists who during the last three decades have taken away assigned by the state of Honduras to the agrarian reform for campesino production Wendy still remembers the stories of her parents and grandparents when they resisted the dispossession she remembers the tragic consequences for her family and thousands of campesinos of the region who saw their dreams of farming their own land taken away the lands assigned to the El Chile cooperative were taken via an illegal sale As stated in complaints presented by the Agrarian Platform of Aguán before the Honduran Public Prosecutor’s Office this transaction was carried out by people without legitimate representation of the campesinos to transfer the territory into the hands of the company Agropecuaria Camaro which in turn transferred the titles to Exportadora del Atlántico belonging to the Honduran Corporación Dinant.  A member of the platform and also of the El Chile cooperative Wendy says that the threat to the former owners many died of desperation in the face of land grabbing by landowners from the families Facussé “The lands are yours,” she recalls her father saying who took on the responsibility of transmitting the history of these lands Today these lands have been converted from oil palm production for exportation to lands for food crops and the sustenance of 246 families in a disputed area covering 486 hectares The Agrarian Platform of Aguán is made up of 25 cooperatives seeking to recuperate their lands in the valley that seek through different forms of struggle to recuperate the lands that were taken from them there are more than 46,000 hectares of land that they seek to recuperate from the oil palm agroindustrialists Honduras has consolidated itself as an important country among the largest producers of oil palm in Latin America The Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) points out that as of 2023 in Honduras, there existed 197,000 hectares with oil palm monoculture of which between the years 2022 and 2023 reached a production of 600,000 metric tons per year According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) this surface area represents more than 18% of the total available farming land in the Central American country A group of young people guard the access gates to the former oil palm plantation “Viveros,” reads a sign in front of the metal gates a vestige of the use that Corporación Dinant—the largest producer of palm oil in Honduras which has 13,300 hectares of plantations—destined to the space at the entrance to the El Chile cooperative and who detailed the collective use of the land The agreement between the families recuperating the land is that each associate is assigned a small piece of land to plant food with which the same family can have multiple spaces for their crops From inside the recuperated land, African palm monoculture can be seen completely encircling the campesino lands. The Department of Colón alone accounts for a quarter of the total existing crops in Honduras the campesinos have cleared some areas to replant them with corn crops they’ve constructed greenhouses where they produce tomatoes It is a future for my children,” says Aguilar detailing the reasons for their struggle She explains that recovering the lands is an enormous responsibility to the new generations “Women represent a large part of the people recuperating lands so it is urgent to give them access to a place to live and land to cultivate.” María Margarita Rodríguez jokes with her compañeros while getting off the motorcycle with which she reached our group she shares with us that the principal motivation to participate in the recuperation is her children and that the women have a prominent role in the labor of the cooperatives she thinks that their participation in the leadership is important to counteract macho practices and promote mutual aid between campesinos The young people are given permission to study because they are the future of the cooperative,” she says The women also share the workings of the assembly the decision-making body that brings together all of the associates of the cooperative “We try to make the best decisions for the benefit of all,” details Aguilar adding that currently there are 16 campesino organizations in processes of land recuperation “there is a need for more.” According to Wendy Castro the recuperated surface of land carried out by these cooperatives reaches nearly 12,000 hectares The current occupation is not the first attempt from campesinos to manage these lands Aguilar says that it was three decades ago when the El Chile cooperative was dispossessed from campesino hands in the context of the mobilizations against the coup they have sought the recuperation of the land organized in the Movimiento Unificado Campesino del Aguán (MUCA) “We have all the documentation for all the territory belonging to the El Chile cooperative,” sustained the leader regarding the land registration with the National Agrarian Institute but we are fighting for something that is ours,” she points out in reference to the legitimate possession evidenced with the property title refers to the property of the Campesino Cooperative El Chile The campesinos continue the struggle initiated by their relatives demanding via another front the fulfillment of the agreement signed with the national government in February 2022 they are interested in the conformation and operation of the Comisión Tripartita (CT) whose work will be to investigate the techniques and methods of dispossession being used in the last 30 years by the agroindustrialists “The government has shown a willingness in word but in practice there is nothing,” explains Wendy Castro the CT still isn’t operating because it lacks budget approval from the Honduras state In spite of the stagnation in the work of the CT the campesino families have pressured the government and advanced in some steps related to the agreement the remediation of the lands in order to verify the legality of the buy-sell documents that personal from National Agrarian Institute and the Property Institute worked this past April on the lands of 12 campesino recuperations seeks to have the Honduran agrarian institutions recognize the property titles and at the same time hand over documentation that certifies the assignation of the campesino lands to the cooperatives and associative companies that certify the land as their legitimate property Wendy Castro assures that the remediation helps the cooperatives’ struggle above all because there exists a strategy of destabilization of the Corporación Dinant to inhibit the intentions of recuperation handing over small plots of land to criminal and paramilitary groups “Some of the cooperatives were having difficulties with land owners and criminal groups that Corporación Dinant had given them in an area they can exploit in exchange for them intimidating us,” she explains taking photos of people who were carrying out the remediation,” explains the member of the platform Armed guards contracted by the agroindustrialists have been responsible for numerous massacres According to a complaint filed with the public prosecutor’s office in January 2023 by the Agrarian Platform of Aguán and the criminal group known as “Los Cachos.” The platform points out that the criminal group is in charge of persecuting and assassinating campesino leaders they’ve operated in the zone since March 2022 “beneath the direction and coordination of the Dinant group and its security companies in the zone,” they state in the criminal complaint “This possession by the Dinant group has been possible only with the presence of armed groups like Los Cachos who have carried out acts of violence to prevent the revindication of the rights of the El Chile cooperative,” details the denunciation They also share that the Dinant group has set up checkpoints to monitor the passage between cooperatives Tranvío using drones during different hours of the day.   a campesino carries his daughter and tools to work the land Together they ride along the road which runs from the corn crops very close to the beginning of the monoculture plantations you are overwhelmed by the monotony of the oil palm crops like the smell of smoke that comes from less than two kilometers away at the operation of a palm oil extraction plant According to criminal complaints filed by the platform Exportadora del Atlantico is responsible for the illegal acquisition of 81 properties constituting a total of 20,749 hectares one of the principal demands of the families in the recuperation of El Chile is the closure of this factory the company usurps 32 hectares of this cooperative where it is located but because its operation and the waste that it produces contaminates the water and soil causing illnesses in the population Wendy Castro explains that since the land recuperation but the campesinos have not received a response “It will not go away because there is a lot of money at stake…the extraction plant continues to contaminate the environment destroying the flora and fauna,” she claims According to data from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture Honduras is the ninth largest producer of palm oil globally.  In terms of markets, records from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) indicate that the principal destinations and values of the exportations of the palm oil from Honduras are: Italy with $155,000,000 dollars The OEC highlights that between 2021 and 2022 there was a sharp increase in demand from Italy They also denounce that waste and contamination are part of a strategy used to harass campesino families Dinant workers wanted to fence a hectare of campesino lands to construct more wells to deposit contaminated water denounces that at night a greater number of boilers are active at the extraction plant which increases the dispersion of smoke as well as chemical residue specifically affecting children and elders “The children have skin issues and have also developed respiratory problems,” he explains angrily which ends up flooding parts of the recovered campesino lands Like many of the transnational palm oil companies Corporación Dinant is a member of the RSPO an initiative that seeks to develop standards for the expansion of the monocrop through “certified sustainable palm oil,” (CSPO) its recent adherence to the select group of NGO’s and transnationals that dominate the global palm oil market and that are part of the RSPO comes after three attempts in the last decade to gain membership A statement from the RSPO Board of Directors briefly addresses the issue and underlines that the main argument for the denial of membership was “questionable past problems.” The RSPO itself foresees in the document that the serious accusations against companies like Dinant will provoke larger questions around the RSPO’s reputation if violations of its rules occur after accepting it as a member “there are mechanisms to sanction or expel them.” Membership is only a first step in the certification process which will permit Dinant to expand the sale of its products to more markets In its reports from 2023 and 2024 to the RSPO Exportadora del Atlantico lists its two active processing plants that are seeking the sustainability certification The other is the plant located in the vicinity of the El Chile recuperation Wendy Castro says that the palm oil produced by Dinant is stained with blood “It is a message that we send to the people across the globe who consume this oil: look at what Corporación Dinant is doing with our families in Aguán so that you can consume this oil in your homes with the blood of our compañeros who have died struggling for our lands,” she says about the violent actions of the company against the campesinos in their annual progress report for the RSPO from 2022 Corporación Dinant states that they plan to obtain RSPO certification for its plantations and extractors in 2024 “As campesinos we tell the RSPO that if they certify Corporación Dinant RSPO itself will be denounced because of the dispossession all of the lands that they have belong to campesinos to families in need here in Bajo Aguán,” says Castro Wendy Castro assures that the recuperated campesino lands do not seek the accumulation of capital nor are they “a luxury,” but they represent the possibility of hundreds of families in extreme poverty to be able to work the fields to survive Despite the severe draught that has plagued the region for more than a year Castro predicts the arrival of a rainy season that will assist the campesino efforts to see the corn making possible their daily struggle.  they will continue raising their voices and denouncing Corporación Dinant for criminal activities and they will continue struggling for the lands,” she shares we have been through enough and we know that the land is ours,” she concludes Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Contact us: avispamidia@riseup.net The materials created by Avispa Midia may be reproduced only for non-profit purposes You must acknowledge the authorship and inform about its publication Imagine a world without the music of John Coltrane or Charlie “Bird” Parker. Imagine Tom Jobim’s “The Girl from Ipanema” without the lush sounds of Stan Getz’s instrument. What about Sting’s initial solo albums without Branford Marsalis grooving in the background? All of us music lovers owe the invention of that marvelous instrument, the saxophone, to a Belgian XIX century prodigy: Adolphe Sax. Born in 1814 the city of Dinant in Namur province, Sax showed early signs of musical talent and curiosity. He could play the flute and clarinet, and was a remarkable singer. His father, Charles-Joseph, was a maker of musical instruments and nourished Adolphe’s musical drive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Visit Dinant (@visit_dinant) Some biographies include the stories of Sax falling on a cast iron stove or being hit on the head by a paving stone instrument makers believed that to create a quality wind instrument what mattered most was the material Sax on the other hand had been toiling with possibility of improving the flow of air inside the instrument He was thus focusing a lot of his attention on the design and shape of instrument and didn’t want to start meddling with the way the aired flowed through the instrument Sax came up with a revolutionary model: a brass instrument twisted into a parabolic cone to ease the flow of air that could release a soothing sound “With tenderness and contained passion,” said French composer Georges Bizet Sax patented the new family of instruments in 1846 in Paris where the Belgian inventor was a living at the time The family of sax instruments consists of seven varieties the saxophone used to mainly be an accompanying instrument for military music the saxophone arrived in the US and several instrument makers saw the potential ahead: first Blues and then Jazz would shoot out to the sky of popular music the saxophone would overshadow the trumpet and the clarinet had been the solo instruments that shone at every band performance The saxophone reached its glory days in the roaring 1920’s Sidney Bechet was the first jazz star to popularize the soprano sax while Coleman Hawkins chose the tenor as the vessel to express his musical persona Every time contemporary stars like Joe Henderson or Kenny Garrett Joe Lovano or Miguel Zenón bring the glorious instrument to their mouths a little sparkle shines over the Belgian city of Dinant Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Statistics cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website “Dinant’s operations are at a scale where we can drive transformative change in many parts of the country We are aware of the important role we must play to help tackle climate change and contribute to overall social well-being  That is why we are giving serious consideration to the impact we have on the economy I’m delighted to report that we are maintaining very high standards on all fronts while making progress on several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.” Dinant’s Sustainability Report for the period 2019-20 catalogues many highlights With consumer demand growing across a range of its products Dinant has worked hard to expand production capacity while reducing its environmental impact supporting an increasing number of independent suppliers and continuing to meet stringent national and international quality standards Dinant’s Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability “We have achieved a great deal as we strive to make our business as sustainable as possible but we know there is a lot more to do to enhance the transparency of our reporting while ensuring that the impact of our operations along the entire supply chain – from the production of raw materials through delivering the final products – is constantly improving but we look forward to doing even better next year.” For full details of these and other initiatives – including water and waste management equal opportunities for all employees and applicants and community engagement – read Dinant’s Sustainable Report 2019-20 in English here: https://www.dinant.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Sustainabilty-Report-2019-2020.pdf https://www.dinant.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Reporte-de-Sostenibilidad-2019-2020.pdf About Corporacion Dinant Its operations directly employ 7,600 people – who in turn support approximately 22,000 family members – as well as many thousands of contractors The GRI Standards enable organizations to understand and report on their impacts on the economy environment and people in a comparable and credible way thereby increasing  transparency on their contribution to sustainable development The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals call for improvements in a range areas This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporacion Dinant 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the increase in armed trespassing in Honduras Dinant has extended its security and human rights training to local communities and authorities on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights  And we have extended our training beyond our security guards to include sales staff as well as members of our local communities and public authorities  We are determined to keep our employees and neighbors safe during these times of increased insecurity.” Dinant undertook 3,055 hours of security and human rights training in San Pedro Sula continues to suffer from the invasion and illegal occupation of its plantations in the Aguan and Lean Valleys the situation has deteriorated significantly with armed trespassers shooting and injuring our employees  It is crucial that we are trained to respond proportionately and with the utmost respect for human rights.” Dinant has also developed a training module for all employees on the prevention of violence or harassment based on gender  Drawing from best practices and in collaboration with expert legal advice the training includes references to sites and sources where those in need or in fear can receive free support will undertake the new training over the next few months  In partnership with the women’s office in Tocoa Dinant’s social liaison experts have already started training community leaders in Aguán and Lean on this issue  Its operations directly employ 7,600 people Dinant was awarded full membership of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) - the highly-esteemed international initiative that governs how organizations vet and how they engage peacefully and transparently with local communities  The  vote in Dinant’s favor was taken by a high level group of NGOs private corporations and governmental bodies engaged in a dialogue on security and human rights  Dinant’s security men and women continue to be vetted and regularly trained according to the VPSHR  Dinant was the first Honduran company to join the VPSHR and the first agribusiness in the world to be awarded full membership 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dinant is marking Earth Month by committing to invest more in protecting and enhancing the environment and ensuring that its operations are as sustainable as possible Current environmental protection measures include: Dinant’s high-tech biogas recovery unit at its oil extraction mill in the Aguán uses biomass from the waste of the palm fruit to produce clean energy and steam that is used to power its boilers From 2020 through the first quarter of 2022 Dinant generated over 60 million KWs of clean energy of which 2.1 million KWs was provided to the National Electric Power Network Grid helping to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels Dinant protects many hundreds of hectares of tropical rainforest at two Wildlife Conservation Centers in Honduras rearing and release programs of endangered indigenous species Dinant’s palm oil extraction mills and plantations in Honduras have been awarded two prestigious International Sustainability and Carbon Certifications – ISCC EU and ISCC Plus – for the sustainability of raw materials and products The ISCC’s certification process has been expanded to Dinant’s independent fresh fruit palm oil suppliers of which 15 small producers totaling 1,172 hectares of plantations have so far been certified Dinant invests heavily in using high-yield varieties of palm that require less land numerous technical and agricultural innovations include the production of home-made organic compost fertilizers that have enabled the Company to reduce chemical fertilization Staff volunteers regularly participate in reforestation activities in Comayagua and San Pedro Sula All of Dinant’s operations have been awarded ISO 14001 since 2014 as a mark of their progress in environmental management “Improving the sustainability of Dinant’s operations is good for the environment But Earth Month reminds us that there’s more to do We will continue to invest in minimizing our environmental footprint while finding more ways to enhance the beautiful natural environment of Honduras.” Dinant’s Sustainable Report 2019-20 can be read here: https://www.dinant.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Sustainabilty-Report-2019-2020.pdf About Corporacion Dinant This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporacion Dinant Participants take part in the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant participants vie to create the most impressive bathtub-based craft and compete down the Meuse River in Dinant on Aug Participants interact with spectators during the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant Complaint lodged with US federal court claims World Bank’s private sector lending arm is ‘knowingly profiting from the financing of murder’ Attorneys for the NGO EarthRights International (ERI) filed the suit on the farmers’ behalf on Tuesday, at a US federal court in Washington DC, where the World Bank is headquartered. The suit’s plaintiffs include more than 15 individuals. There are two class action claims: one regarding roughly 200 members of the Panamá community, the second representing roughly 1,000 people and focused on allegedly “unjust” profit-making from contested land acquisitions in the past. Read moreThe 132-page legal complaint says the plaintiffs are seeking compensation for “murders unjust enrichment and other acts of aggression” the case is about World Bank entities “knowingly profiting from the financing of murder”.The document describes decades of violence but focuses on the period since 2010 seeking damages for several specific deaths and what ERI attorneys described as a “pattern of attacks that is ongoing” The lawyers added that some of those killed have been families’ primary breadwinners has been “to intimidate farmers from asserting competing rights to land that Dinant has sought to control” ERI said the plaintiffs require anonymity due to continuing security concerns said: “We live from our families and our land and now we are left with nothing We want justice … We have to move forward.” Her husband was allegedly shot and killed by Dinant security personnel said he witnessed farmers being pulled out of their homes and beaten Another person was shot through the stomach.” He was allegedly shot and injured by Dinant security personnel The lawsuit names as defendants both the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the latter’s wholly owned subsidiary IFC Asset Management Corporation (AMC) ERI’s legal team said precise amounts of compensation requested would be determined at trial The NGO said the suit follows years of attempts by farmers to seek justice in Honduran courts and through political advocacy and protests Complaints have also been lodged previously with the IFC’s internal watchdog The lawsuit – the second of its kind filed against the IFC in US courts – follows a case filed in 2015 regarding financing of a coal-fired power plant in India that local communities say destroyed their livelihoods In that case, the IFC asserted “absolute immunity” under the 1945 International Organisations Immunities Act, a US federal statute. (It is currently before an appeals court after a first judgment accepted the IFC’s immunity claim) It is unclear if the IFC will present a similar defence in the suit filed this week though ERI understands that its co-defendant is not itself covered by the 1945 act and cannot claim immunity The World Bank has a development mandate and explicit goals to end global poverty and boost “shared prosperity” The UK’s executive director at the bank did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian In 2009 the IFC disbursed $15m (£12.3m) in loans to Dinant; further IFC support was subsequently forthcoming in the shape of indirect investments, through the Ficohsa bank in Honduras and IFC AMC But ERI’s legal team said this “hasn’t resulted in remedy or credible investigation for the farmers and their families” the NGO’s attorneys claimed the IFC seemed to put “profit before people at every turn” A policeman stands guard in a plantation of the Bajo Aguán valley Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty ImagesThe IFC makes money from its investments Founded by the late businessman Miguel Facussé, the privately held Dinant corporation produces food and cleaning supplies. Some products, including crude palm oil, are exported overseas On its website, Dinant says it is committed to economic development A 2016 company report said it has worked to “safely secure its facilities while engaging peacefully with local communities” It said it has removed all firearms from its security personnel in Honduras The report said it “welcomes an independent review of its past efforts and current procedures in investigating allegations of human rights abuse” It added that Dinant employees have also suffered violence and that it “deeply regrets the tragic and unnecessary deaths that have occurred on all sides” The legal complaint filed this week specifically alleges that “guards and security agents working for Dinant continue to intimidate and kill community members and farmers’ leaders across the Aguán to this day” The complaint accuses IFC and IFC-AMC of having financed the company with alleged “reckless disregard of the obvious and highly probable risk that their actions would result in serious harm to the plaintiffs” The Panamá community’s class action claim references an alleged “pattern of aggression which Dinant security personnel carry out in order to intimidate and terrorise the villagers” The second class action claim regards profit-making from land allegedly acquired by “fraud It alleges that IFC and IFC-AMC are now “reaping the benefits” of historical injustices Responding to the lawsuit, Kate Geary, at the watchdog Bank Information Centre Europe, said local communities in Honduras have suffered “appalling harms” She said: “It is high time that the IFC was made to answer in the courts for the many human rights abuses – not only in Honduras but around the world – that they have been linked to through their investments.” Dinant’s corporate and banking relations director said: “All allegations that Dinant is – or ever has been – engaged in systematic violence against members of the community are without foundation.” Pineda said it was “absurd” to connect the company with “high levels of insecurity in the Aguán valley on the grounds that several tragic deaths have occurred in the same region in which we own land” He insisted that Dinant operates “in a just and lawful manner and we require the same of all our contractors He added: “We care deeply about the wellbeing of our employees the thousands of farmers who supply our processing plants and the surrounding communities of which we are an integral part.” An IFC spokesman said the institution does not comment on ongoing litigation and will respond to claims “in due course” He added: “IFC is saddened by the history of violence in the Aguán valley” and is “focused on clients who commit to adopt internationally recognised environmental and social practices in the most challenging of environments” Human rights delegation to Bajo Aguan in 2009 (credit Flickr user hondurasdelegation) Click for a pdf version of this statement ————————————– which has been associated with extensive human rights abuses The investigation is one of the most damning ever issued by the internal watchdog and concludes that the Bank’s private sector lending arm The CAO found that these failures arose, in part, from staff incentives “to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict risk”[2], and that staff felt pressured to “get money out the door”[3] and discouraged from “making waves”[4] The CAO investigation reveals one of the most egregious investments in the IFC’s history Such findings should rightly provoke shockwaves at the institution a commitment to root and branch investigation and reform and apology and remedy to affected communities who have suffered at the hands of IFC’s client and to deny that the root cause of these abuses is a long standing conflict over land A full list of NGO demands can be seen at the end of this document The CAO investigation exhaustively documents failures at every stage of the investment process at IFC: assessment the CAO catalogues failures by the IFC in all its formal procedures: environmental and social due diligence and processes of consultation and information disclosure In the face of clear evidence to the contrary presented by the CAO the IFC’s response last week continues to claim that in 2008 there was ‘no evidence of land claims’ in an initial response to the draft CAO investigation in summer last year the IFC attempted to pressure CAO into covering up its own findings: “In making these findings CAO notes IFC’s request that “discussion of IFC’s integrity due diligence as it was applied to Dinant” be “removed from the report.”[12] Such denial in the face of clear evidence to the contrary is then compounded by an attempt by the IFC to force CAO to conceal its own findings The IFC does not respond to the CAO’s finding that it continues to be in breach of its own information disclosure requirements The IFC’s response is that Dinant will carry out a “comprehensive stakeholder mapping and socio-economic baseline survey” in January 2014 It is unacceptable that the IFC fails to admit or correct its wrong-doing on information disclosure, especially considering the CAO´s discovery that the client´s translation of the Environmental and Social Review Summary was “modified”[13] It is unacceptable that despite the CAO’s findings that community consultation should have occurred back in 2008 the IFC does not acknowledge the fact that Dinant’s plans to consult communities come six years too late The information gathered from the consultation was to have been used to determine if IFC would invest in the project The IFC’s response also refers to “other international financial institutions” which “also conducted their own due diligence prior to IFC and subsequently obtained approval from their respective Boards of Directors” then the IFC should not rely on the due diligence of other institutions the CAO again finds significant flaws in the IFC’s actions at all phases: including sustained failure to enforce its own loan agreement Conditions of Disbursement; failure to supervise Dinant’s compliance with key Performance Standards such as that relating to the use of force by security guards; and failure to “exercise remedies” when non-compliance continued The Action Plan merely re-states what the IFC is anyway obliged to require by Performance Standard 4 but has failed to meet to date: PS4 also provides that the “client will investigate any credible allegations or abusive acts of security personnel take action (or urge appropriate parties to take action) to prevent recurrence and report unlawful and abusive acts to public authorities where appropriate.” Nor does the IFC acknowledge the documented issues with Dinant´s contracted security company. The report from the UN Working Group on Mercenaries[21] states that one of the firms hired by Dinant is Orion Orion´s security guards are allegedly those responsible for the murders of five farmers at El Tumbador in November 2010 and that witness accounts state that they were using prohibited weapons (AK47s and M60s) An Action Plan which proposes more of the same engagement with Dinant on security issues that has been proven to fail to date is not acceptable in such a volatile and sensitive context yet the IFC is refusing to take its human rights obligations seriously which show Dinant failing again and again to comply The IFC’s response to its repeated failures to bring Dinant into compliance is at best disingenuous and at worst deliberately misleading More frequent monitoring and supervision will achieve nothing if the IFC does not enforce compliance with its own standards The CAO finds that the problems at IFC which led to the failures it documents stem not from deficiencies in its policies The CAO states that while “the overall approach outlined in the Sustainability Framework is one which CAO finds to be applicable in conflict and non-conflict scenarios”[23], “IFC non compliance identified in the report are due in large part to problems with the interpretation and application of existing policies and procedures”[24] “The combination of client relationship, operational and compliance functions within project teams can generate conflicts of interest and conflicting incentives for staff and management.”[25] The CAO finds “a culture of risk aversion at the Bank”: “In a risk averse setting, accountability for results defined primarily in financial terms may incentivize staff to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict related risks.”[26] Staff at the IFC recounted to CAO an institutional culture that encouraged lending at the expense of social and environmental impacts: ‘there was pressure to grow the agribusiness portfolio at the time the Dinant investment was processed and that the investment department was thus highly  motivated to “get money out of the door” with little regard for E&S concerns. The same interviewee noted that this was leading to investments in clients who were very weak from an E&S perspective.”[27] Anonymous interviews carried out by CAO with IFC staff revealed they (rightly) feared for their jobs if they raised concerns: “E&S staff who “make waves” are disadvantaged when it comes to decisions around promotions and pay increases.”[28] Indeed the lead social and environmental specialist on the Dinant case was replaced for raising compliance concerns: “When a more “compliance based” approach to the supervision of the Dinant investment was thus raised, CAO finds that this elicited push back from the IFC portfolio manager as a result of which the lead environmental specialist working on the project was replaced.”[29] CAO found that although staff knew about problems they did not feel able to raise them: One interviewee said that IFC knew from experience that “land is the number one issue in most palm oil investments”; and that “they all [oil palm investments] have unresolved land issues, it is just a matter of looking.”  But that “staff did not feel as though they could rely on support from their management in addressing contentious issues”[30] The IFC’s response does not acknowledge or address these issues of systemic failure and instead claims that under the new 2012 Performance Standards many of the findings of the CAO are addressed the IFC cannot hope to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future IFC began its investment in Ficohsa in 2008 and directly in Dinant in 2009 the conflict and allegations surrounding Dinant’s involvement in the Aguán Valley were in the public eye the head of IFC sent a letter to Honduran President Lobo regarding the situation with Dinant IFC made a $70 million investment in Ficohsa despite knowing Dinant’s role as its third largest client and the deteriorating situation surrounding Dinant on the ground IFC investment in financial intermediaries – like Ficohsa – has come under recent scrutiny. In February 2013, the CAO published an audit[33] showing that IFC “knows very little” about the environmental and social impacts of its lending to financial intermediaries such as private equity funds and commercial banks which amount to around half of IFC’s total lending The CAO investigation on financial intermediaries demonstrated that IFC doesn’t know where its money is going But this latest revelation about Ficohsa shows that even when the IFC does know the risks it turns a blind eye to the impacts of its lending The IFC knew that Ficohsa was financing Dinant it knew that Dinant was caught up in a land conflict and yet it continued to invest in Ficohsa including Movement of Unified Campesinos in Aguan Honduras Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) the Center for International Environmental Law Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme MISEREOR (Catholic Bishops Organisation for Development Cooperation Grupo Sur – European Advocacy Network – EU Latin America and Caribbean Fundación de Estudios para la Aplicación del Derecho El Salvador Habitat International Coalition Latin America Office (HIC-AL) Global Campaign for Free Expression and Information Institute for Policy Studies Climate Policy Program Food First/Institute for Food & Development Policy Centre national de coopération au développement CNCD-11.11.11 the Norwegian Coalition for Debt Cancellation the Social Justice Committee of Montreal Canada Commission an independent investigation on the security firm which is contracted by Dinant and being trained under the IFC action plan as it has allegedly been involved in human rights abuses in other areas of Honduras.In addition the farmers´ organisations from the Aguan Valley demand that the World Bank does not continue to fund corporations and projects that result in the monopolisation of natural resources and the displacement of communities and indigenous peoples We regard this as a test case for President Kim’s commitment to learn from past mistakes. While we welcome Kim’s assurance that he will personally monitor the IFC’s action plan[34] and commitments in this case the IFC’s proposed action plan is totally inadequate in relation to systemic failures identified in the CAO investigation In response to a similar CAO investigation in 2009[35] also about IFC’s investment in a palm oil company which revealed systemic failures at the IFC then-President Robert Zoellick reacted swiftly and decisively to enact reforms Announcing a World Bank Group-wide moratorium on palm oil investments “I share your concerns about the detrimental effects of palm oil development when sound environmental and social practices are not followed….I agree that the CAO audit highlighted important deficiencies in IFC’s past approach. I have directed IFC management to take all necessary steps to ensure that the problems identified in the CAO audit are not repeated.”[36]  We therefore call on President Kim to ensure the IFC learns lessons from the systemic failures identified in the investigation and enacts specific systemic reforms so that future IFC investments do not result in breaches of this gravity This action plan should immediately be withdrawn and re-written to address the serious failures in IFC’s due diligence processes highlighted in this investigation ————————– Note: This statement was updated on 20 January 2014 [2] CAO investigation p [3] CAO investigation p [4] CAO investigation p [5] The IFC response states we will seek Dinant’s agreement to undertake that the following actions are undertaken in the next 12 months…” p [7] CAO investigation p [8] CAO investigation p [9] CAO investigation pp [10] “IFC’s failure to disclose the Dinant E&S Assessment was not compliant with its Policy on Disclosure of Information (para. 13). IFC remains non-compliant on this point.” See p. 7:  http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/DinantAuditCAORefC-I-R9-Y12-F161_ENG.pdf [11] CAO investigation p [12] CAO investigation p [13] CAO investigation p [15] See: http://www.fian.org/news/article/detail/german_development_bank_withdraws_dinant_finance_in_response_to_human_rights_violations_in_bajo_agu/ [16] President Kim Responds to Civil Society’s Concerns on Private Sector Investments available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments [17] CAO investigation p [18] CAO investigation pp [19] http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/10/world-bank-group-inadequate-response-killings-land-grabs [20] The CAO notes that the “IFC failed to require an adequate root cause analysis in relation to the serious incidents that were occurring around the project (ESRP 6 the IFC should commit to conduct such an analysis [21] http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/A-HRC-24-45-Add1_en.pdf [22] See CAO investigation pp [23] CAO investigation p [24] CAO investigation p [25] CAO investigation p [26] CAO investigation p [27] CAO investigation p [28] CAO investigation p [29] CAO investigation p [30] CAO investigation p [31] For a full list of these underlying causes [32] http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/CAO_Appraisal_Ficohsa_C-I-R9-Y13-F190.pdf [33] See http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/documents/Audit_Report_C-I-R9-Y10-135.pdf [34] http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments [35] http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/uploads/case_documents/Combined%20Document%201_2_3_4_5_6_7.pdf [36] http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0909-palm_oil_ifc.html [37] CAO investigation p Get our alerts and publications in your inbox Donate to the Bretton Woods Project On Wednesday evening, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) admitted failures in the implementation of its own social and environmental policies when approving a $30m (£18.2m) loan to Corporation Dinant an agribusiness owned by one of Honduras's richest and most powerful industrialists Miguel Facussé The IFC pledged to beef up its demands of Dinant, which is accused of using violence to deal with land conflicts in the Bajo Aguán valley after criticism from the World Bank Group board last week This volte-face comes two weeks after its original lukewarm response to a damning investigation by the World Bank's internal watchdog the Office of the Compliance Adviser/Ombudsman (CAO) which found multiple ethical failures in the IFC's handling of the Dinant loan The IFC's initial action plan caused outrage among civil society groups in Honduras and overseas as it failed to address many of the investigation's findings Seventy organisations denounced the IFC's "totally inadequate" response and demanded "root and branch investigation and reform" as well as an apology and remediation for communities found to have suffered as a result of Dinant's alleged violence in the Bajo Aguán The news was welcomed cautiously by civil society groups secretary general of the Movement of Unified Campesinos in Aguán said: "The IFC has acknowledged its errors evident in the human rights violations of local farmers and environmental damage in the Bajo Aguán We hope the World Bank does not disburse more funds to Dinant and other international banks do not make the same mistake." Dinant received the first $15m loan instalment in November 2009 months after a coup d'etat triggered widespread social unrest to expand its lucrative African palm plantations The company denies all allegations that its security forces have killed kidnapped or forcibly evicted peasant farmers who also lay claim to the land Dinant says its guards have been forced to defend their farms against violent The IFC's new promise to "refine and flesh out" its action plan and "reflect on" internal problems came after the World Bank Group board demanded a revised response that properly addressed the failures identified by the CAO It now says it will cancel the outstanding loan if Dinant fails to comply with its demands Dinant has promised to adhere to the IFC standards some groups said the IFC had not gone far enough co-ordinator of the UK-based Bretton Woods Project said: "The IFC is clearly an institution which has lost its way and now needs an independent investigation of the underlying systemic reasons for the repeated and serious failures to adhere to standards by its staff." A CAO spokeswoman said: "The ball is now in IFC's court." a highly prestigious and internationally recognized benchmark that strictly governs how organizations vet recruit and train their security men and women and how they engage with local communities The unanimous vote in Dinant’s favor was taken by a high-level group of NGOs private corporations and governmental bodies engaged in a dialogue on security and human rights “Dinant has been fully implementing the Voluntary Principles for many years using them as a guide during some of the company’s most difficult situations so everyone here is delighted that our efforts have been formally recognized by such a credible organization By investing significantly in modernizing our security and engaging with local communities we have been able to operate successfully and peacefully in some of the most challenging parts of Honduras this has given us a platform to expand our international exports and generate more well-paid Dinant is on track to achieve full membership of the Voluntary Principles Initiative within the probationary period for new members The company’s successful implementation of the VPs is being closely watched and replicated by other companies in Honduras and Guatemala Going beyond the requirements of the VPs, Dinant prohibits security guards from carrying firearms at its plantations palm oil extraction mills and manufacturing plants This ground-breaking initiative – introduced in 2013 with the full support of the guards and their families – has been independently verified by the IFC Regional community grievance mechanisms continue to be administered by Dinant’s professional social liaison staff working at the heart of local communities Dinant was one of two Honduran companies invited by the United States secretaries of State and Homeland Security to participate in a Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America held in Washington About Corporación Dinant and the absence of discrimination in the workplace For more information, please visit www.dinant.com This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporación Dinant 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corporacion Dinant – the agribusiness and consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960 – has expanded its training on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights to operations in Guatemala and El Salvador and probably the first agribusiness throughout the world to fully implement the Voluntary Principles – an internationally accepted benchmark that strictly governs how an organization vets The company already trains 100% of security guards in Honduras on the Voluntary Principles The expansion of the program to other Central American countries follows the company’s decision last year to provide training to all divisions in Honduras Dinant has removed all firearms from the security guards at its plantations We have proven that it is possible to do business successfully honestly and transparently in challenging parts of the world The key to our success has been modernizing our security engaging peacefully and respectfully with local neighboring communities rewarding our talented staff with good pay and benefits Dinant directly employs 7,200 people worldwide – who in turn support over 22,000 family members – as well as many thousands of contractors vendors and suppliers who depend on the company Dinant pays considerable local and national taxes Dollars in exports for the Honduran economy and contributes significantly to all regions and countries in which it operates “Dinant’s model is being closely watched and now replicated by other companies in Honduras and Central America I am proud of what Dinant has accomplished prosperity and progress for the Honduran people to work with us to accomplish these noble objectives.” Dinant benchmarks its African Palm Oil business against stringent international standards on economic environmental and social impact; the sustainability of supplies; and engagement with all local stakeholders All Dinant operations have been granted ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 status for their environmental management systems and occupational health & safety Dinant’s African Palm oil extraction mills and plantations in the Lean and Aguan regions of Honduras have been awarded two prestigious International Sustainability and Carbon Certifications – ISCC EU and ISCC Plus – in recognition of the sustainability of raw materials and products Dinant’s community engagement program has been expanded through stakeholder surveys local Community Grievance Mechanisms and the recruitment of professional liaison workers based at the heart of local communities Dinant has received the prestigious Empresa Socialmente Responsable – or “Socially Responsible Business” – award for its outstanding commitment to local communities Dinant has consistently engaged energetically and transparently with those who hold different views in the belief that common points of mutual interest can be found  The company invites all interested parties – including its critics – to visit its African Palm plantations in the Bajo Aguan region as well as the rest of its operations sites to see the results of the extensive resources that Dinant is investing in modernized security For more information, visit www.dinant.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the COVID19 pandemic continues to impact most heavily on vulnerable members of society Dinant has extended its relief program to provide free essential supplies to more local communities in need Dinant has now helped a total of 100,000 families from 71 communities throughout Honduras by providing 200,000 lbs and 40,000 bars of soap – all free of charge but Dinant’s support for vulnerable members of the community will continue unabated COVID19 has had a devastating impact on many people’s health as well as most people’s livelihoods but Dinant is determined to continue supporting its loyal customers and nearby communities for as long as it takes.” While many businesses have been badly affected by economic impact of the COVID pandemic Dinant has been permitted by the Honduran Authorities to continue production of many goods deemed to be essential Dinant has maintained its social responsibilities and commitment to protecting the natural environment “Maintaining operations has been crucial but our priority throughout has remained the health and safety of our customers we have further strengthened our industry-leading practices with a range of pre-emptive measures that keep our stakeholders and our products safe Our staff have dealt admirably with increased consumer demand and we are so proud of the entire Dinant family.” Lean and the Aguan continue to benefit from Dinant’s support program About Corporacion Dinant This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporación Dinant The Tumbador “finca,” an African palm plantation sits on a swampy low floodplain about a mile or so from the Caribbean you have to turn off the deteriorating two-lane road to Trujillo — the last big town on Honduras’ north coast before the road gives way to the Moskitia rainforest — and then descend a rutted dirt road through tropical scrub the ocean’s azure surface dazzling and bright under the burning afternoon sky geometric rows of African palm surround a rough encampment of tents fashioned from black construction tarps and sunbaked palm fronds Ocean wind blows with a hush in the treetops and the occasional motorcycle rattles past The dull thudding of machetes resounds over muffled scraps of conversation within the recent memory of most people camped out here about 100 feet from the ramshackle encampment of peasant farmers who are seeking to stake a claim to their land is a truck and guard post for the Servicios Especiales de Colón (Colón Special Services or SEC) many of them ex-Honduran military officers the largest palm oil corporation in Central America to guard the sprawling palm plantations claimed by the company and carry out surveillance of those considered trespassers where those same guards killed five of their farmers after a coup the previous year that threw an already violent country into further chaos peasants engaged in escalating battles with Dinant were approaching El Tumbador when company guards armed with automatic weapons and accompanied by the Honduran military and honest response to any allegation or accusation,” Roger Pineda Pinel Dinant’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability security staff who were present during that tragic event were acquitted in trial.” The guards are unarmed nowadays (though it’s worth noting that new armed groups with connections to state and corporate authorities continue to threaten and kill peasant farmers) But the mere presence of the guards there — driving past with mirthful smirks to take photos and flying surveillance drones that float overhead at all hours of the day — still sends a chill through the encampment whose partner (with whom she shares 10 children) makes them “afraid that they are still going to do the same [as] 12 years ago “We’ve had a lot of fear,” says Francisco Ramírez a survivor of the massacre and part of the group now reoccupying the plantation where a bullet blew away his entire top row of teeth has been home to some of the most intense campaigns of violence against peasant groups in this Central American country But fear isn’t stopping them: 12 years later was likely where the most traumatic moment of their lives took place The election of the country’s first left-leaning president in years has raised hopes for some that violent land conflicts over disputed plantations — the source of so many killings and enforced disappearances — could finally be resolved the reoccupations came as something of a surprise given recent events a local court ordered the Honduran military to forcibly evict several land occupations where peasant farmers had been occupying plantations they claimed Dinant and other palm oil corporations had taken from them years before military commanders informed local residents they would evict one new occupation each day for the next five days Videos circulated on social media showing entire regiments of commandos called up from distant departments lining up at highway gas stations their weapons at the ready as if they were going to war soldiers arrived at formerly occupied sites that had been hastily abandoned The roots of Honduras’ land conflicts go back decades a bloody constellation of armed actors — police and soldiers paramilitary groups and “sicarios,” or assassins-for-hire — that has left well over 150 dead in the Aguán Valley alone Conflicts first emerged here in the early 1990s after economic restructuring pushed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund allowed the sale of collective farmlands which had been parceled out to landless peasants as a part of a land redistribution program in the mid-1970s Many of the subsequent purchases of land by the Dinant Corp were carried out in an atmosphere of threats while peasant groups and human rights workers deemed the dispossessions to have been groups of dispossessed peasant farmers organized but most remained locked in unending legal battles for the next decade the Honduran military — bolstered by the Honduran oligarchy which had grown extremely powerful since the era of structural adjustment in the early ‘90s having grown rich off of industries like palm oil and maquiladoras foreign-owned factories that assemble products for export — staged a coup against Manuel Zelaya a president who had drifted toward liberal domestic policies and who strengthened relations with Venezuela Any hope of legal redress was rendered null causing most to up their game and reoccupy plantations The killing that followed was of a scale and intensity that had never been seen in this region of the country peasant groups that had retaken palm plantations and forced the new government into heated negotiations for land titling suffered a systematic campaign of targeted assassinations by Honduran state security forces the violence had become so blatant that international pressure — namely which funded the Honduran military — put the brakes on the killing spree But the suspension in killings was followed by a macabre postscript created paramilitary groups embedded inside communities to continue their dirty work of killing and intimidating activists allowing the military and corporate guards to take a less visible role arbitrary detention and torture continue in the Aguán This was clear last October during a visit to the Camarones palm oil plantation to the east of the town of Tocoa had besieged the finca with multiple checkpoints Police had stopped and detained several peasant farmers preventing them from leaving with their cargo of harvested palm fruit following peasant farmers as they walked around the area To get their harvest out of the finca without harassment sweating in the morning heat in an exhausting manually loaded mounds of palm fruit into dugout canoes to take across the Aguán River at the back of the plantation That didn’t stop the intimidation or harassment: Multiple people spoke of how the National Police trained the sights of their assault weapons on them — a message But the election last November of Xiomara Castro (the wife of Zelaya) raised hopes that violent land conflicts over disputed plantations could come to an end with the annulment of land titles that many say are fraudulent hoping to finally have titles recognized in the less repressive atmosphere of a new government The eight years of rule under the conservative National Party government of Juán Orlando Hernández have left Honduras with a dark legacy of institutionalized violence and corruption Urban violence continued under elite military-police units which were created by the Hernández government and implicated in human rights abuses; funds were stolen from the public coffer for political campaigns; toxic mining projects continued to be approved while land and water defenders were assassinated at staggering rates; outmigration grew which international observers suspected was fraudulent and which was followed with a murderous clampdown on mass protests the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Hernández’s brother Honduran member of congress Antonio “Tony” Hernández in Miami in 2018 on drugs and weapons charges Prosecutors alleged Antonio and the president used their power in the Honduran government to create a “violent state-sponsored drug trafficking conspiracy,” causing many Hondurans to refer to their government as a “narco-dictatorship.” The former president was arrested in February 2022 Castro was slow at first to make public statements regarding the resolution of violent land conflicts though a commission to resolve conflict in the region between palm oil companies and peasant groups headed by the director of the National Police Peasant leaders interviewed by New Lines were hopeful about the prospect of change But they expressed doubt as to how the process was going There are questions as to why a police officer is running a peace commission in a part of the country where state security forces have been implicated in major human rights violations in relation to that land conflict Palm oil companies have allegedly stopped showing up for negotiations And peasant groups are being squeezed financially as they are forced to pay for their own security to attend meetings in the highly volatile region lots of hope that things can change with her,” said Angel David Santos Ortíz a lawyer for the Movimiento Campesino del Aguán (Campesino Movement of the Aguán or MCA) sweat-stained jeans tucked into calf-high rubber boots gathered in scraps of shade beneath the palms to listen to representatives of the Plataforma Agraria who gave speeches on the legal rights of the peasant farmers should the authorities come to evict them “We hope that new authorities attend to our demands better than the previous ones,” said Alexí Morales that the 5,000 hectares that there are belong to the movimiento campesino There are some indicators that changes may be taking place police delivered court orders to 17 members of the Los Laureles farmer cooperative who were charged with aggravated usurpation for having allegedly stolen the Laureles palm plantation from the Dinant corporation Aggravated usurpation carries a penalty of 10 years jail time in Honduras where legal charges have long been weaponized — a form of criminalization meant to suck land and water defenders into an endless nightmare of litigation they were acquitted of those charges by a court in Tocoa on June 22 But a new government in the capital doesn’t necessarily change the entrenched on-the-ground power dynamics in one of the country’s most remote and violent regions peasant farmers in the Auxiliadora cooperative who were occupying the Cuacú palm plantation at the far eastern end of the Aguán reported being jolted awake by the sound of gunshots predawn light an armed group closing in on their encampment from the east: roughly 30 masked men armed with AK-47s Residents told New Lines they believe the group is a private militia hired by Oscar Nájera a former Honduran member of congress identified by the U.S Justice Department to be a major drug trafficker and understood by locals in the Aguán to be a major power broker Two men who didn’t escape were kicked and beaten with the butts of AK-47s ripping apart the tents and stealing their agricultural supplies showed up again with an eviction notice signed Feb 21 — the day before land titling negotiations began It was only a tense standoff in which the members of the Auxiliadora showed what they said were the documents for the title to the land The residents believe that the police didn’t show up in an official capacity but at the orders of organized criminal interests — the same associated with Nájera “We can’t sleep well here anymore,” said Juana Jourdes Cantarero a member of the Cuacú occupation who returned after the militia attack Continued hostilities throughout the region many felt that Castro’s government was failing to sufficiently address tensions in the region nearly 2,000 campesinos traveled over eight hours across the country to block the street in front of the Presidential House to demand the government uphold its promise of ending land conflicts For much of the day the crowds sweated listlessly under the blistering hot sun growing disillusioned with the government’s seeming indifference to their presence as the ousted ex-president and Castro’s husband is still seen by many as a de facto power broker promising to create a new tripartite commission to reexamine land titles and investigate human rights abuses in the region Whether it proves to be more effective than the previous commission in February remains to be seen a SEC truck rolled past us slowly and beeped The guard looked through the window and snapped photos of us “They’re monitoring us all the time,” Ordoña said noting that surveillance drones fly over the camp daily “Ever since we decided to reoccupy the land There has never been justice for the killing of her husband The minimal recompensation would be to get final titling rights for the land for which her husband and numerous others have been killed “We have to be able to survive,” Ordoña says They need the land that their parents died for the land that they fought for with their own blood.” It’s not just organized peasant groups with leftist roots and histories of unionizing targeted with violence and threats Almost all forms of communal agriculture are criminalized in the Aguán Valley where powerful business interests favored by the authorities have long had a vested interest in consolidating control of land to maximize profit The systematic criminalization of the former by the latter — the patterns of false accusations and rumors disseminated through social media as well as the statements of public officials in narratives meant to defame peasant groups by painting them as inherently violent savage and connected to organized crime — plants the idea that they deserved to be killed or forcibly This was why the statements made on national television on Feb a member of the palm-producing organization Association of Producers in the Aguán Valley appeared on “Frente a Frente” (Face to Face) to announce that armed members of the rural community had illegally invaded a palm plantation next to Chapagua The plantation had previously belonged to the Rivera Maradiagas a violent clan of drug traffickers who brought drug planes from Colombia and Venezuela onto land they owned in the Aguán and northern Honduras They abandoned Honduras in 2015 and became protected witnesses of the Drug Enforcement Administration — an act that later contributed to the downfall of the former president including the parcel that lay wedged against the village of Chapagua was seized by the Administrative Office of Seized Goods said that the plantation had lain unused ever since state authorities seized it and that there was a group of young men who had occupied the plantation and could be heard discharging their weapons in a riot of gunfire at night But residents themselves knew none of them saying that they had come from outside the community they had a video of Arias with those same men he alleged were the villagers of Chapagua at the entrance to the palm plantation “The whole population of the village can tell you that during the night you can hear gunshots from over there,” said Virgilio Rodríguez the community members set up a roadblock at the entrance to the village to stop anyone coming in: a series of massive tarps strung up over logs with a rope strung across the road to stop incoming cars because “we don’t want [local business interests] to continue to criminalize us by saying that we’re complicit in allowing that theft of fruit But we’re really worried about this group of armed people on the plantation It’s a weak defense against unknown armed men who’ve set up shop at the back of their community and insecurity is still the norm for rural farmers believes that the moment has come to resolve the land conflict “This land here belonged to the first campesino group in the Aguán gesturing to the expanse of fern-sheathed palms “And we’re here today to finally take it back.” Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dinant – a leading consumer products manufacturer in the central American region – is stepping up as a force for good in the fight against COVID-19 and for many years has been contributing greatly to local neighborhoods up and down the country Dinant is doing more to protect and serve the people of Honduras and beyond Here at Dinant we are working closely with our customers We are fortunate to have so many talented staff and so we are using that capacity and knowledge to develop solutions to protect the most vulnerable in society It is truly inspiring to witness the many acts of service that Dinant’s people are undertaking to support and care for each other No matter how long it takes for the crisis to end Dinant’s “COVID-19 Crisis Response Team” is committed to mobilizing the company’s time talent and technical capabilities to meet four objectives: Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, Dinant has strengthened its industry-leading practices – all certified by the SQF Safe Quality Food Program – with a range of pre-emptive measures to keep staff and products safe Under the guidance of medical professionals the company is providing protective face masks to all staff ensuring everyone can work at safe distances apart and increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of high traffic areas throughout all facilities Dinant staff have been able to safely continue their important roles of  manufacturing packaging and delivering Dinant’s trusted brands to help support people’s basic nutritional needs and keep family homes clean and sanitized “We are proud of our Honduran heritage and have a long history of supporting local communities in times of need And we are extremely grateful for the support we have received from our talented staff and loyal customers we know we have to step up and do all we can at this challenging time to be a force for good That is why we are providing financial support Dinant’s Social Team – community liaison professionals working at the heart of local towns and villages adjacent to the company’s facilities – has identified local people most impacted by COVID-19 enabling the company to target food and cleaning products donations where they are most needed benefiting more than 25,000 families and around 100,000 people throughout Honduras Many Dinant products are key to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 particularly those that are used on a daily basis to clean and disinfect businesses The company has donated 14,500 liters of disinfectant products produced at Dinant’s factories in Comayagua and Choloma – including bleach floor cleaners and detergents – to medical professionals and other emergency staff the Latin American Business Council (CEAL) for use by frontline healthcare professionals “We cannot predict when this crisis will be over but we’re committed to stepping up of a force for good and being a part of the solution – whatever it takes to support our employees About Corporación Dinant This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporación Dinant Dinant is not in conflict with genuine peasant associations; our African palm plantations support thousands of jobs in local communities. It is true that Honduras struggles with poverty insecurity and a lack of economic opportunities But my fellow countrymen would be better served if those NGOs that have never visited or who hold extreme and outdated political views did not seek to represent us.Roger Pineda PinelCorporate relations director 2017: Corporacion Dinant today shared the results of its latest staff survey showing that 98% of those who responded believe that Dinant is a good company to work for 97% stated they are proud to work for Dinant The anonymous survey was sent to a random selection of staff in June 2017 and received a 99% response rate Dinant is committed to enhancing opportunities for people in neighboring communities by creating thousands of permanent well-paid jobs with company pensions and overall compensation levels averaging well above the national minimum wage that is recognized by the vast majority of our employees.” Dinant’s compensation packages and benefits are unrivalled in the Honduran agribusiness industry  Over 75% of Dinant staff earn salaries at least 10% above the national minimum wage and everyone receives an annual salary review every member of staff is free to join a labor union and no employee is discriminated against for doing so Many employees are eligible to participate in Dinant’s popular savings and loans cooperative and over 60% of the staff take advantage of the company pension plan Dinant has developed a strong health program with medical support for the workforce at all facilities in Honduras the company is providing land free of charge to enable nearly 500 employees to build high-quality affordable homes under President Juan Orlando’s Comisión Nacional de la Vivienda (CONVIVIENDA) Project this land is sufficient to build 348 houses in the Bajo Aguán and 37 houses in Comayagua – a total of 446 houses for hard working Honduran families in parts of Honduras that need help We have been employing female security guards for several years now but our goal is to increase the number of women employees in general particularly by recruiting from our neighboring communities And the survey found that 15% of those who responded want more information about Dinant’s internal grievance mechanism procedure This and other useful insights will enable us to become an even better employer in the months and years ahead.” Dinant is a family-owned consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960 Its products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic The company directly employs 7,200 people worldwide generates many millions of US dollars in exports for the Honduran economy and contributes significantly to the economies of all regions and countries in which it operates Dinant rigorously benchmarks its African Palm oil business against stringent international standards on economic This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporación Dinant A violent land conflict in Honduras has drawn scrutiny because its corporate protagonist has been financed by the World Bank Group Glenda Chávez walks between the orange trees of her family’s grove approaching a low wire fence that divides her property from Corporación Dinant’s Paso Aguán plantation rows of spiky palm oil trees stretch for miles across the green landscape of northern Honduras pointing to a spot on her side of the fence where a search party found the last traces of her father’s life men from their peasant community found the machete he’d taken with him to tend to his vegetables The men also found drag marks in the dirt leading toward Dinant’s property Four days after Gregorio Chávez disappeared searchers discovered the preacher’s body on the Paso Aguán plantation and his body showed signs that he may have been tortured according to a government special prosecutor investigating his death Glenda and the other villagers immediately suspected he had been killed for speaking out from the pulpit against Dinant their adversary in a battle over ownership of land that the company long ago incorporated into its vast palm oil operations “These plantations are bathed in blood,” Glenda Chávez says but more than 100 peasants have died in defense of the land.” The preacher’s death was one of 133 killings that have been linked to the land conflicts in Honduras’ Bajo Aguán valley who was appointed by the federal government to investigate the wave of violence that has ripped through the area in recent years The circumstances of these deaths remain fiercely disputed in a struggle that has pitted Dinant and other large corporate landholders against peasant collectives with both sides involved in violence that has at times turned gruesome The conflict has drawn international scrutiny in part because Dinant Dinant was backed by the International Finance Corporation an arm of the World Bank conglomerate that lends to private companies one of Central America’s biggest palm oil and food producers It provided $15 million directly to Dinant in 2009 and later channeled $70 million in 2011 to a Honduran bank that was one of Dinant’s largest financiers the IFC aligned itself with one of the key players in a deadly civil conflict staking its money and reputation on a powerful corporation with a questionable history The IFC ignored easily obtainable evidence that should have warned it away from doing business with Dinant the lender’s internal ombudsman later found an IFC official who conducts social and environmental risk management said the IFC approved its loan to Dinant before the violence in Bajo Aguán spiraled out of control He said the IFC is reforming its policies to better anticipate risks to local communities “We took a photograph in time and acted on that basis,” Constantine said “Should we have recognized some of these historical issues earlier With the growing push for private investment in developing countries Its annual lending hit $17.3 billion in 2014 But despite its growth — and complaints in Honduras and elsewhere that it has funneled money to companies involved in land grabs and human rights abuses — the IFC has remained less known than its sister institution Human rights groups and former bank officials say the IFC takes greater risks and is less accountable than its higher profile counterpart a former senior manager who spent 37 years at the World Bank says the bank has “an army of social scientists” who are sensitive to the bank’s rules for protecting local communities and the environment the IFC tends to rely on assurances by its private-sector clients “that nothing will go wrong.” Complaints about the IFC’s clients often involve vulnerable populations that claim they are being pushed aside to make way for big projects the IFC has approved more than 180 projects that may involve physical or economic displacement according to an analysis of IFC documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists displaced families could lose their homes or other assets or suffer damage to their livelihoods the IFC’s internal ombudsman concluded that the IFC’s lack of attention to the perils of doing business with the company reflected serious problems in the IFC’s approach to handling risky projects The IFC’s culture is so focused on the bottom line that it “may incentivize staff to overlook Many of the IFC’s controversial investments involve loans to middlemen By routing financing through these middlemen — instead of lending directly to private-sector clients — the IFC has made it much easier for the ultimate recipients of its money to ignore its standards 42 percent of the IFC’s portfolio is invested in financial intermediaries In an audit of the IFC’s investment in Banco Ficohsa the Honduran bank that was one of Dinant’s leading financiers the ombudsman describes investments in middlemen as an “unanalyzed and unquantified exposure to projects with potential significant adverse environmental and social impacts.”  are “effectively secret,” leaving them “divorced from systems which are designed to ensure that IFC and its clients are accountable.” Since 2012 only 6 percent of financial intermediary loans that the IFC classified as high-risk disclosed the final recipients of the money according to an analysis by the anti-poverty group Oxfam Africa and Latin America have complained to the IFC’s ombudsman about projects supported by financial institutions backed by the IFC Those affected include villagers in Uganda who claim their homes were burned to make way for pine and eucalyptus plantations and farmers in Cambodia whose rice fields were taken over by a rubber plantation The Dinant case is exceptional because it involves a decades-long battle over land that has moved back and forth between big landowners and impoverished farmers — and because of the body count associated with the conflict The IFC says that it has taken steps to defuse the violence in Bajo Aguán including hiring a mediator to encourage negotiations between Dinant and persuading Dinant to revamp its security protocols and disarm its guards at several plantations The IFC has so far withheld a second $15 million installment of its loan to Dinant due to its concerns about the company The IFC acknowledges that lending money in volatile regions poses risks but says its work in these troubled areas is critical to its mission provide jobs and prosperity that can help break the cycle of violence the IFC invested $640 million in “fragile and conflict-affected situations.” The IFC has committed to ramping up its investments in these regions by 50 percent between 2012 to 2016 “This is not for the faint of heart,” says Constantine The roots of the land dispute in Bajo Aguán date back to the 1970s when a national land reform law turned most of the valley’s rich terrain over to collective organizations run by peasants It was a victory for poverty-stricken farmers and attracted waves of migrants to the fertile Aguán region But the peasants’ fortunes took another turn in the 1990s dramatically changed the country’s land ownership rules allowed land belonging to peasant collectives to be broken up and privately sold which was part of a series of reforms it promoted as part of its efforts to push Honduras toward a market economy expanses of collective-owned land quickly passed into the hands of Dinant and other large corporations Much of the land was converted to industrial-scale production of palm oil margarine and a myriad of other cosmetics and foods Environmental groups charge that rapidly increasing cultivation of palm oil has led to deforestation and pushed vulnerable populations off their native lands nearly 21,000 hectares — 74 percent of land held by peasant collectives in Bajo Aguán — was sold according to a 2010 report by a coalition of peasant organizations The IFC’s Constantine said the sales revealed the failure of the collective model created under the previous land reform push  “That social experiment was not very successful,” he said  “The large landowners stepped into the breach and bought up the land from willing sellers.” ‘When they spill the blood of one of us in this community the community will rise up.’” – Glenda Chávez The peasants and their advocates tell a different story peasants came under pressure from large landholders to sign away their rights Peasants charge that hired thugs harassed leaders of collectives that refused to sell in some cases riddling their homes with gunfire Small factions within some of the collectives signed away large tracts in exchange for individual payoffs peasants formed popular organizations to challenge the land sales in the courts and with the government They demanded that the government return the lands formerly owned by the collectives to the peasants 12 people died in a clash between landowners and peasants over disputed land previously used as a military training center a team from the IFC visited Dinant to evaluate a prospective loan the IFC’s board approved a $30 million loan to Dinant It classified the loan as “Category B,” indicating a low risk that the investment would lead to serious environmental or social problems The IFC’s ombudsman later found the evaluation team failed to do basic research about Dinant the largest landholder in the Bajo Aguán region who is ranked by Forbes as one of Central America’s most powerful millionaires Had the team done a simple Internet search it would have found news stories showing that Facussé had been accused of being involved in the murder of an environmental activist had faced a warrant for arrest for alleged environmental crimes and had been embroiled in a series of land disputes which charged him with allowing one of his food processing plants to dump toxins into drinking water for two decades was revoked after the judge who issued the warrant left her position a court dismissed accusations that Facussé collaborated in the murder of environmentalist Carlos Escaleras Facusse and Dinant denied wrongdoing in these legal cases The IFC and Dinant signed the loan agreement in April 2009 at a time when peasants still hoped that land disputes in the region could be solved peacefully offered to negotiate with peasant movements and landowners in Bajo Aguán about a political settlement to the conflict that would restore some of the disputed land to peasant ownership Then a political upheaval sent the country careening into violence Glenda Chávez had a 7-year-old daughter and was pregnant with her second child She spent most of her time at home and worked on her sewing machine to earn money soldiers stormed the presidential residence ousting Zelaya from power and putting him on a plane to Costa Rica Glenda remembers her father described the coup as “barbaric.” But she didn’t get involved in the escalating struggle that was tearing Honduras apart “I didn’t care very much about politics,” she recalls The military-backed government that took power made it clear it was not going to proceed with the land reforms promised by Zelaya Outraged by the coup and out of political options the peasant movement adopted a new tactic — mass occupations of disputed plantations The peasants call these actions “recoveries.” Dinant describes them as “invasions.” Many of the deaths in Bajo Aguán have happened during these takeovers “The peasants have not in one instance entered [the plantations] in a peaceful manner,” said Col a military operation with orders to stabilize the Bajo Aguán region said that in some cases peasants killed each other hiring hitmen to settle struggles within the peasant movement over control of lucrative oil palm fields Peasant groups say the company and the government have trumped up these allegations to justify abuses by soldiers and company security guards A 2013 report by the Permanent Human Rights Observer for Aguán a human rights group affiliated with the peasant movements found that out of more than 100 violent deaths associated with the land conflict 89 were peasants and 19 were security guards “Why are the ones who get hurt always peasants?” he asks five peasants died during an attempted occupation of Dinant’s El Tumbador plantation While there is little dispute that the company’s security guards fired the fatal shots Dinant said that they acted in self-defense during an armed attack by more than 160 peasants a peasant who survived the El Tumbador occupation has a thick scar running across his face from where a bullet plunged through one cheek and out the other He claims he was unarmed and walking toward the front gate of the plantation with another peasant when Dinant guards hiding behind a hilltop ambushed them with a hail of bullets “Here is where they had the ambush,” says Ramirez pointing to a small hill overgrown with trees and thick vegetation “This is where I received the impact of the bullet in my face.”  the IFC’s president urged Dinant to show restraint and asked Honduras’ government to find a peaceful solution to the land conflict moving steadily closer to Paso Aguán and the Chávez family a peasant activist named Francisco Pascual Lopez disappeared near Paso Aguán plantation Community members found a trail of blood leading into the plantation the IFC board approved a $70 million loan to Banco Ficohsa intended “to support lending to the country’s small and medium enterprises.” The Dinant conglomerate was among Ficohsa’s largest clients securing nearly $17 million in loans from the bank in 2008 Even as the IFC held back from disbursing the second half of its direct loan to Dinant it showed little concern about supporting Dinant through a middleman As Ficohsa’s exposure to Dinant grew through 2010 IFC staffers waived the IFC’s limits on how much Ficohsa could lend to any single client writing that Dinant was a “regional leader” and owner Miguel Facussé was a “respected businessman.”    Three months after the Ficohsa loan was approved Dinant reported a deadly attack by peasants during an attempted takeover of the Paso Aguán plantation Four security guards and a Dinant employee were killed and at least one of the guards appeared to have been executed The Dinant employee had been tortured and his ears had been sliced off her father began to speak out against Dinant Gregorio Chávez never affiliated himself with the peasant movements but he grew frustrated with the company as its security guards became an intimidating presence He planted palm oil trees on the family’s property he was harassed by Dinant guards and police who assumed his produce was stolen “He was a man who never kept quiet,” she said and he didn’t like how [Dinant owner] Miguel Facussé came into our community.” The violence that afflicted other parts of northern Honduras had not yet reached their small community of some 450 families her father delivered warnings from the pulpit that foreshadowed his own violent death her mother came to tell her that her father had not come home “That was when I felt in my heart that something had happened,” Glenda says The Chávez family and their neighbors launched a desperate search Glenda called relatives and members of Gregorio’s church and alerted the police and fire departments After searchers discovered Gregorio’s machete the community demanded access to the Paso Aguán plantation Days passed before the searchers gained entry to Paso Aguán Teams of police and peasants began scouring its 1,200 hectares for signs of the vanished preacher the peasants demanded access to an unexplored section of the plantation known as Lot 8 Dinant’s guards said the area was restricted and tried to deny them entry and the peasants and policemen began to search says the company no longer had control of Lot 8 when the preacher’s body was discovered the peasants searching for him took over Lot 8 and other sections of the plantation stealing tractors and palm oil fruits and burning a storage facility These violent partisans could have brought the body from anywhere Pineda says Dinant and its guards had no reason to kill Gregorio Chávez “We never had any problem with Gregorio Chávez says the peasants’ suspicions that Dinant’s guards killed Gregorio Chávez represent the “most credible” explanation for his death But he says there are no eyewitnesses or scientific proof linking the guards to his death but there is not concrete evidence,” Guzmán says outrage swept over the community of Panamá Villagers created a new organization to fight for their cause: the Gregorio Chávez Movement for Refoundation Glenda was often called on to speak for the community It is still painful for her to discuss her father’s killing but she recounts the events surrounding his death with a practiced calm Along with denouncing violence against peasants the Gregorio Chávez Movement is demanding that Dinant turn over the Paso Aguán plantation to peasant ownership Dinant has refused to sell any of the disputed land “The Paso Aguán plantation is going to be recovered,” Santos Torres a leader of the peasant movement in Panamá said during a clip from a radio interview that Dinant shared with ICIJ reporters “If we have to fill the streets with blood Torres later told ICIJ that he was referring to the blood spilled by peasants willing to sacrifice their lives to reclaim their land more than a year into the IFC’s investment in Banco Ficohsa the bank provided Dinant with a new $5 million loan The money was a part of more than $39 million in loans to the Dinant conglomerate that Ficohsa would approve during the course of the IFC’s investment in the bank Ficohsa’s approach to social and environmental hazards was setting off alarms within the IFC The same month Ficohsa sent the new loan to Dinant the IFC found that Ficohsa had failed to follow the IFC’s social and environmental safeguard policies which are designed to protect people in the path of development That didn’t stop the IFC from continuing to work with the Honduran bank the IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program provided a guarantee to Ficohsa for two trade finance deals with Dinant the IFC ombudsman released its report on the Dinant investment The internal watchdog found that the IFC had failed at every step to properly investigate or supervise Dinant according to a bank staffer who spoke to the ombudsman wanted to “get money out of the door” with little regard for social risks and often overrode the concerns of the safeguards staff the IFC’s portfolio manager rejected the lead environmental specialist’s calls for a tougher line with the company the IFC purchased a $5.5 million ownership stake in Ficohsa The IFC has promised to reform its approach to assessing the social risks of projects and to the way it oversees investments in middlemen It has created a new vice-presidency to handle risk management and an action plan to improve its supervision of financial intermediary clients and begin screening some of the ultimate recipients of these loans “We’re trying to address that structurally and also culturally,” said Morgan Landy at a forum with community groups in October 2014 peasants from the Gregorio Chávez Movement tried once again to take control of the Paso Aguán plantation They occupied the plantation for about a day before Col Jovel’s soldiers moved in and evicted them Members of the Panamá community say the soldiers opened fire on them during the evictions shows the scars where a bullet ripped into his shoulder Others say soldiers beat and tortured them Glenda Chávez says she was present during the evictions as a human rights observer using a camera to capture footage of soldiers firing on the peasants She says soldiers detained her and refused let her go until she surrendered her camera and I took off my vest where I had my camera Jovel warned ICIJ reporters that the peasants in the Panamá community would try to draw international attention by provoking violence during the reporters’ visit Jovel told ICIJ’s reporters that he had sent soldiers to Paso Aguán to pre-empt an attempted occupation and that he could not guarantee their safety if they visited the Panamá community the peasant leader who had warned of the streets filling with blood sat with a dozen others on lawn chairs outside Glenda’s home The men showed their scars and passed around photographs documenting the evictions in July  Torres scoffed at the idea that he and his comrades were planning to provoke a confrontation is that “we’re humiliated inside our own homes without being able to go out.”   The grove where Gregorio Chávez disappeared is a short walk along a dirt road from where the peasants had gathered Glenda has begun planting orange trees between the spiny oil palms planted by her father which she now believes have only brought suffering to her community She picks an orange and expertly peels it with her machete “When a palm tree dies we plant another product,” Glenda says UPDATE June 25, 2015: After this story was published, a spokesperson for Corporación Dinant submitted a letter to the editor elaborating on the company’s response. The letter can be read in full here Tourists take photos of Chinese lanterns at an exhibition in Dinant Two exhibitions dedicated to China: an exhibition of giant luminous lanterns and another exhibition of Chinese masks named "Happy Heads" opened in Dinant March 10 (Xinhua) -- Two exhibitions dedicated to China: an exhibition of giant luminous lanterns and another exhibition of Chinese masks named "Happy Heads" opened in Dinant The two exhibitions aimed to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of Dog "The all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation between China and Belgium is developing rapidly and cultural communication is one of the most important parts," said Zhang Chi charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Belgium at the opening ceremony on Friday "'EU-China Light Bridge' activities will further promote Sino-Belgian relations and make Chinese New Year culture known to the world," he added Mayor of Dinant Richard Fournaux told Xinhua that he hoped to strengthen the ties between China and Dinant and attracts more Chinese tourists we invited Chinese New Year celebrations (parade) to Dinant the European Commission has proposed Dinant to participate in the 'EU-China Light Bridge' activities to build a bridge of light with China," he noted "We will do our best to ensure our cooperation is not temporary and we decided to completely renew the tourist facilities of Dinant to attract Chinese tourists and to show the hospitality of Dinant as a host city for Chinese tourists," he said "It is also a way to tell Europeans that visiting China can be interesting and amazing." giant luminous lanterns of symbolic features in animals or characters of Chinese traditional cultures the train station and the St Nicholas Square there are a series of unpublished and amazing photo portraits by Belgian-Chinese artist duo Benoit + Bo unveiled on Friday in the salons of the Hotel de Ville in Dinant This exhibition is about the ancient tradition of Chinese masks It will be presented in the form of contemporary works and decorated with giant masks in several places of the city These two exhibitions are part of a series of events celebrating the Chinese Lantern Festival which is the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar month and marks the end of the Chinese New Year And major tourist sites in China will also light up in blue the representative color of Europe on May 9 In pics: cherry blossoms at Yuantongshan Park in SW China's Yunnan Aerial view of Xixi National Wetland Park Nanjing: Plum blossoms in full bloom Dancers perform "The Sleeping Beauty" in National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing Blossom season witnessed in China Giant pandas at Ahtari zoo in Finland Highlights of Paris Fashion Week Migrant birds seen at national nature reserve in SW China's Yunnan News & Analysis on the Bakery and Snacks Industries 19-Aug-2019 Last updated on 19-Aug-2019 at 11:58 GMT Its processing plant in in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, achieved a score of 97% for investments the company has made across its expanding operations. “After four days of robust independent auditing, our Yummies manufacturing facility was given a near-perfect 97% score for its food’s safety quality management systems, demonstrating we consistently produce safe and high-quality products for our ever-increasing customers throughout the Central American region, the Dominican Republic and beyond,”said Roger Pineda, corporate relations/sustainability director, Dinant. The SQF Safe Quality Food Program is an internationally-renowned certification that rewards a culture of safe quality and encourages responsible manufacturing and agricultural processes towards increasing product yield by reducing waste.    It relies on third-party assessment to verify adherence to the requirements of the SQF Code. "We can now add the SQF certification to recently renewed certifications for environmental management (ISO 14001) and occupational health and safety (OHSAS 18001) at the Yummies manufacturing plant,” added Pineda.    “With a commitment to high quality products, strong brands, and our passion for innovation and sustainability, Dinant has reaffirmed its position as one the most established companies in the mass consumer goods market in Central America and Dominican Republic.” Dinant’s Yummies snacks are made using corn, yucca, plantain, malanga, camote, cashew and potatoes supplied by a range of producers, including local independent farmers. In 2016, its Zambos snacks, made by Dinant and part of Honduran culture, was selected to represent Honduras in a government campaign to promote the nation’s values, traditions and skills abroad.  Dinant’s snack plant in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has received HACCP certification from SCS Global Services food safety auditor. Dinant, which produces snacks, cooking oils, processed foods, fruits and vegetables, for Central America, the Dominican Republic and other global exports, has built a biogas plant using waste from the African Palm fruit. Rethinking ingredient lists: Innovations in egg reduction and replacementPaid for and content provided by CSM Group (CSM Ingredients & HIFOOD) Trade and transparency: Why digital supplier management is key to supply chain successPaid for and content provided by TraceGains Better-for-you snacks that deliver on indulgence - how can formulators succeed?Paid for and in partnership with Griffith Foods From the Winter 2014 edition of The Bretton Woods Observer The CAO report concluded that but that they took the allegations very seriously and would “continue working closely with IFC in order to comply with their performance standards” [See 27 January update at the end of this article] The coup removed president Manuel Zelaya from office who had begun a process of resolving land conflicts in the Bajo Aguán area among other social programmes She said “obstacles include the internal incentive system which emphasises lending targets rather than results on the ground.” In early December Kim issued a public statement aimed at civil society: “we will make sure that action plans developed by IFC address the issues identified by the CAO’s reports” and that he would  regularly be sent implementation reports by the IFC and CAO saying private companies want to work with the institution because its “strong track record in environmental and social risk management has made it a partner of choice.” Local communities in Honduras and international civil society groups question whether Kim and the Bank are living up to that commitment ———————————– However they said the IFC’s new response still falls seriously short of laying out a plan to ensure that communities’ human rights are respected in future Secretary General of the Movement of Unified Campesinos in Aguan (MUCA) and member of the Plataforma Agraria said: “We note the work done by the CAO and that the IFC has acknowledged its errors evident in the human rights violations of local farmers and environmental damage in the Bajo Aguan by the Dinant Corporation We hope that the World Bank does not disburse more funds to Dinat and other international banks do not make the same mistake.” Rural campesino groups return to land they allege was taken from them by palm oil corporations José Margarito Fúnes displays cornfields cultivated at the Los Laureles cooperative part of a plan to diversify their agriculture this peasant group has retaken and farmed land formerly claimed by the Dinant Corporation Honduras—The tents were still being put up at the camp when I arrived on the afternoon of July 29 gridded palm oil plantation on the muggy northern coast of Honduras next to the corporate management building abandoned upon their arrival the four-day-old Brisas del Aguán occupation teems with movement as residents help one another construct their new homes metallic thwack of machetes hitting bamboo or logs used to prop up black construction tarps as temporary roofs Children chase ragged dogs as a smoldering haze of woodsmoke accumulates against the canopy of palm trees overhead But you could be forgiven if—while reading the communique from the Dinant Corporation four days earlier—you imagined the scene would be far more sinister “Dinant was victim to an illegal invasion of their plantation at Brisas del Aguán,” the statement read “The illegal actions of these invading groups heighten social conflict in the area and are the motor of poverty in the communities.” It decried the fact that the amount of company-claimed land “usurped” by “criminal gangs” in this palm-producing region has risen to 5,094.62 hectares five different cooperatives of rural campesinos have physically reoccupied the enormous palm plantations along the north coast of Honduras Dinant is the largest land-holder of several palm corporations in the region The goal of the campesino cooperatives is to be able to sell palm oil on their own and to diversify the region’s agriculture to what it was before the introduction of palm oil Dinant claimed that “armed and violent criminal gangs masquerading as poor campesinos [are] invading private farms in the Aguan” and that “these violent gangs are preventing some employees from going to work to earn a legitimate income and pocketing millions … [by] selling stolen produce.” Dinant says it is dedicated to human rights and the rule of law and that the new occupations are “forcing hard-working families to leave out of desperation.” Globally, the palm oil industry was valued at $50.6 billion in 2021 and is projected to rise to $65.5 billion in 2027 Promoted by the World Bank as an engine of development in the equatorial zones of the Global South the fruit is used for everything from processed foods to shampoo to biofuels with the industry facing long-standing accusations of labor abuse and repression against those who oppose its expansion As both a major producer of African palm in the region and as a country whose violence continues to send hundreds of thousands fleeing to the U.S.-Mexico border Honduras is no stranger to the bloodshed and dispossession of the palm oil industry Yet a collection of farmer cooperatives have decided to put an end to it and particularly since the beginning of 2022 which has been implicated in longstanding violence against campesino movements and which the new occupants allege stole their agrarian reform farms during IMF-sponsored liberalization in the early 1990s (Dinant has stridently denied both claims and says it’s the rightful owner to these lands) argues that the plantation was taken under false pretenses in 1993 It wasn’t easy for some people to come back to Tumbador Many of the compañeros were at this exact spot on November 15 when five members of the campesino movement who were among a group attempting to retake the plantation after a 2009 military coup the previous year were ambushed and killed by Dinant-contracted security guards accompanied by elements of the Honduran military inspired by other movements and hoping the new liberal-leaning government of Xiomara Castro would be more willing to recognize land rights set up camp just a few feet away from where the massacre took place “We feel more excited,” said Alexi Morales of the new land occupation at Tumbador many of whom lived in disparate towns beforehand or worked on corporate-owned plantations are cleaning ferns and vegetal refuse from the plantation to begin cultivating and selling palm fruit on their own “That excitement is rooted in a decree the campesino movement has that says that 5,000 hectares of land [in the Bajo Aguán Valley] are ours We have documents that show that the land is ours There’s a case to be made that the narrative arc of the Tumbador plantation is a microcosm of the much larger history of labor abuse and land rights in the struggle over African palm plantations in the Aguán Many of those at Tumbador are members of the MCA (Movimiento Campesino del Aguán) the first organized cooperative that physically retook land for peasant use back in 2000 The time of the massacre was an era in which members of the campesino movement were assassinated in increasing numbers amidst ratcheted tensions and renewed land occupations in the valley under the hopeful shadow of a new government that many hope will recognize the rights of peasant farmers that the MCA has returned to reoccupy the plantation Palm oil first came to Honduras in the late 20th century The majority of African palm ends up being boiled down to a tasteless ingredient used in processed foods as the enormous spine-covered mound must be laboriously hacked down from the top of the tree by workers staggering beneath a fifteen-foot pole fixed with a machete-like device at the end you see sweat-drenched workers with the long poles balanced over their shoulders riding home on bikes from their exhausting morning work; many of them show scars where the spines of falling fruit have gouged into their hands Mounds of African palm fruit harvested on the Transvío palm plantation another peasant cooperative occupying a former Dinant operation Proportionally, palm oil yields a higher harvest than vegetable oils used for processed foods—better than rapeseed, soybean, or sunflower oil. Honduras, for example, produces 3.92 tonnes of palm oil per hectare as opposed to 0.37 tonnes per hectare of soybeans Honduran palm oil cultivation began in earnest in the early 1980s, growing at a more-or-less steady rate before temporarily plateauing in 2007 at a yearly harvest of 275 megatonnes, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that some allege that palm oil corporations like Dinant seized the lands that became their plantations through fraudulent transfers These cooperative farmlands were divided up and dished out to subsistence farmers in the 1970s in an attempt by liberal-minded military regimes to stave off potential revolutions African palm was only one product among others to be cultivated But amid structural adjustment measures pushed by the IMF after the end of the Cold War campesino groups and human rights workers allege that the owners of palm oil companies illegally seized those lands by intentionally circumventing the protocol for sales encoded in Honduran agrarian laws The biggest spike in palm production coincided with the murderous repression of campesino groups that began with the 2009 military coup the military installed a series of right-wing regimes that took the simmering violence against campesino groups—who’d begun to physically occupy plantations in a desperate bid for land rights—and turned it into a counterinsurgency a network of death squads linking corporate private security forces and criminal groups allegedly assassinated over 150 people in the Aguán Valley The majority were members of the peasant cooperatives members of campesino groups were still tear-gassed And criminalization and police harassment continue they’ve set about planting and cultivating a crop that has less to do with satisfying global supply chains than creating a self-sustaining community: corn When I spoke to members of the Los Laureles cooperative in Tocoa in late May they had just received notice that they were targeted with órdenes de captura or “capture orders,” for the crime of usurpation The penal code in Honduras for usurpation means that one faces the same punishment as those convicted of associating with criminal groups it is clear that Dinant—which claims the rights to their land as it does to Brisas and Tumbador—would be behind these capture orders the zone of the Bajo Aguán is their fundamental economic area where they have the most economic activity — where the largest economy in Honduras is concentrated,” he said “It’s the way empresarios (businessmen) seek to criminalize the campesinos so that we cease to continue in la lucha.” Members of the Brisas del Aguán cooperative—which has occupied this palm plantation since July—gather for a meeting near an abandoned management building on July 29 the compañeros of the Los Laureles cooperative who have occupied Dinant-claimed land since 2021 cleared a section of African palm next to the turbid brown waters of the Aguán river the staple of rural farmers in Central America On one golden afternoon late this last May José Margarito Fúnes walked through the several acres of corn along the banks of the Aguán river explaining to me how the new crop will go into tortillas for consumption in the cooperative and creating feed so they can begin to raise and sell cattle “None of the people here are members of criminal groups,” Funes said of the narratives about the cooperatives shucking a stalk of corn from one of the hundreds of plants now along the river Jared Olson is a writer and investigative journalist documenting human rights abuses in Central America About the Prospect | Contact Info Careers |FAQ Newsletters Browse Archive / Back Issues Manage A Print Subscription Manage A Recurring Donation Privacy Policy DONATE TO THE PROSPECT nothing excites me more than stepping into a place that looks the same as it did 100 years ago I could see this Belgian brewery was just such a place Dinant’s Brasserie Caracole brews artisanal and organic Belgian beer over an open fire In the centre of the front room stands one large vat for mixing the 850kg of malt with hot water (Caracole is apparently the last beer to be brewed over an open fire in all of Europe.) Hops and spices are added to the mix as the beer gradually ferments My favourite part of the Brasserie Caracole was tucked behind the brewing room and the prominent bar displaying Caracole’s Belgian beer varieties The walls were decorated with posters of the colourful and quirky beer labels each one sporting a ‘caracole’ or snail-shell The Brasserie Caracole is well worth a visit It’s open every day during July and August and Sunday afternoons the rest of the year More Information: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/10/artisanal-organic-belgian-beer-caracole-brewery-dinant/ We sat in the rustic brewery which smelled of hops and grain and enjoyed tasting each artisanal brew with the various meats The Beer Brewer showed up after our lunch as he was finishing up yet another batch of snail beer The Brasserie La Caracole is located in a small village in Falmignoul – and it was a small Their portfolio consists of four unfiltered and unpasteurized stock ales: Caracole and Troublette – all with the signature snail image on them The snail is the emblem of Namur and the word for a snail in local Namurois dialect is “Caracole” More Information: http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/belgium-food-travel/ Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site.© 2025 AFAR LLC Participants interact with the audience during the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant Participants attend the International Bathtub Regatta on the Meuse River in Dinant