(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s Sugar Corporation (Sosucam) has suffered a major blow with 150 hectares of its sugar cane plantations going up in smoke The fire followed a strike by the company’s employees that spiraled into a full-blown riot on February 4 in the town of Nkoteng The details were revealed on February 5 by Naseri Paul Bea during an appearance on the private TV station Canal 2 International The employees had been protesting for better wages and working conditions when the strike escalated One protester lost their life in the violence including police officers and gendarmes who were sent to restore order has yet to release an official statement on the incidents which occurred just over a week after Jean-Louis Liscio was appointed the company's new CEO The destruction of part of Sosucam’s sugar cane fields is expected to affect the company’s annual production which was already struggling to meet the country's growing demand Sosucam owns 25,000 hectares of plantations across Mbandjock and Lembe-Yezoum in the Centre Region of Cameroon The company typically produces between 100,000 and 130,000 tons of sugar annually while the country’s total demand is estimated at nearly 300,000 tons Cameroon imported 105,400 tons of sugar—an increase of 31,000 tons compared to the previous year According to a recent report by the Ministry of Finance on the country’s economic outlook these sugar imports cost the nation CFA42.8 billion further deepening the country’s trade deficit Sosucam is jointly owned by the government (26%) and the Somdiaa Group (74%) a major agro-industrial conglomerate operating in Africa with an annual payroll of CFA14 billion and an average revenue of around CFA60 billion Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing Cameroon — At the Cameroon Sugar Corporation (Société Sucriere du Cameroun the year 2023 came to a close on a grim note: the death of a man named Mballa Olomo The temporary worker lost his life as a result of burns suffered in a work accident that occurred in December at one of the company’s plants based in Nkoteng The 43-year-old town native had been a seasonal worker at the industrial agriculture company for about ten years The company is a subsidiary of the French group SOMDIAA which manufactures and markets food commodities and runs six sugar cane plantations across Africa a vehicle transporting workers and moving at high speed overturned on the Nkoteng plantation the government encourages the expansion of industrial agriculture companies considering them to play an essential role in development The government also believes that they are an indispensable tool in feeding the growing urban population and that they promote the country’s economic growth industry workers are paid poorly and work in precarious conditions the industrial agriculture sector alone accounted for 26.4% of work-related accidents recorded in Cameroon in 2020 according to an estimate by the Cameroonian institution overseeing social protection These companies are also frequently at odds with the local communities and small-scale farmers over land issues Industrial farmland is gradually taking the place of land used for subsistence and rural farming in the country This is due to both changes in the market as well as other factors such as young people moving to cities who before would have practiced subsistence farming on small plots of land now find themselves working on large-scale industrial farms — and with little protections was one of the victims of last April’s truck accident she still shows signs of post-traumatic stress and she was taken off the seasonal workforce after eight years at SOSUCAM She is now confined to her home in poor health and has not received compensation to guarantee effective care my health has declined,” she told Mongabay I regularly have headaches and pain in my chest and neck I did not receive any of the compensation due to me Yet I was on leave until July 12 … I haven’t gotten anything since According to the labor union’s report only 10% of work accident victims at SOSUCAM would have received full coverage in 2023 and “90% of the work accident victims we met with were not adequately compensated.” work accidents in the company generally involve serious cuts from machetes or dabas an tool similar to an axe; transportation accidents; sprains; pieces of sugar cane flying into their eyes; faints due to working in the heat etc Seasonal workers on sugar cane plantations are mainly migrant workers from the northern part of the country who have a reputation for being energetic and accustomed to contracted labor who instead set their sights on administrative positions in the company Seasonal workers are said to earn between 52,000 and 65,000 CFA francs ($86.74 and $108.42) a month Their seasonal employment is considered low paid although it remains slightly above the guaranteed minimum wage of 45,000 CFA francs ($74.97) now paid to agricultural workers seasonal workers are forced to practice mixed farming (corn plantains…) for subsistence and as a way to scrape together additional income for survival who is from an organization called #OnEstEnsemble denounces what he calls the perpetuation of transgenerational enslavement in SOSUCAM’s imported labor which it inherited from the defunct CAMSUCO farm workers were recruited by tender in the northern part of the country since these northerners have already brought their families [to Nkoteng and Mbandjock] it’s a generational cycle of repetition.” He added: “The father cuts [sugar cane] and the employer pays them extremely low wages The strategy is to prevent the parent from earning a substantial enough income to pay for their children’s education because the company will need them in its workforce in the future.” who represent about 80% of SOSUCAM’s personnel work in conditions sources deem precarious and disgraceful They complain of a lack of medical coverage insufficient personal protective equipment or even In some cases, the alleged malfunctions in SOSUCAM’s human resources management have to do with violations of the laws governing work in Cameroon These violations are likely to increase the risk of work accidents while the government has nevertheless prioritized risk prevention in the workplace Director of Occupational Health and Safety at the Cameroonian ministry overseeing labor and healthcare the government plans to step up compliance checks around applied health and safety measures in the workplace in accordance with the law This will involve encouraging the creation of occupational health services as well as training health and safety committees to better handle work accidents it is important to note that the laws governing the workplace in Cameroon date back to a somewhat distant time and they haven’t necessarily adapted to changes over time The official says he is aware of the nullity of certain laws and that the government is also considering reforming the legal framework in the work and healthcare subsector “A preliminary draft text listing particularly unsanitary or dangerous jobs and professions is being finalized and it will probably be submitted to the national committee overseeing occupational health and safety for review and validation,” explained the head of the Ministry of Labor which covers both health and safety at work formally identifies inherent risks in the agro-industrial sector.” The implementation and enforcement of these new standards and laws remains to be seen. In the mining sector government regulations often lack enforcement the organization #OnEstEnsemble accuses SOSUCAM of destroying village plantations through aerial pesticide spraying which spreads onto family farms; polluting the soil; destroying termite mounds and edible caterpillars; polluting drinking water sources through spraying and polluting rivers from discharging plant wastewater The company’s pollution is more or less confirmed by an official at Nkoteng Town Hall, who spoke to Mongabay on condition of anonymity: “At the entrance of the town, there is a stream that gives off a foul smell; at the Essomboutou sand quarry, bagasse [dried sugar cane pulp] discarded from the SOSUCAM plant ends up in the Sanaga river and blasters complain about developing skin infections.” The town hall plans to confront the company this year to find out what it discharges in nature It could also require the company to bioremediate the polluted site “We have a duty to protect our ecosystems,” he added Concerning land management, according to a law passed by parliament in 2019, town halls in Cameroon are the entities responsible for environmental protection Nkoteng Town Hall could hold SOSUCAM accountable for environmental standard violations on first offense and request action from the Cameroonian ministry overseeing the environment in the event of a repeat offense says the impacts of this agriculture model and the companies practicing it lead a loss of biodiversity among plants and animals in areas used for their operations with little to no implementation or adaptation of potential pollution-reducing measures; climate change and increased community vulnerability and an increase in human-wildlife conflicts local communities and Indigenous peoples are losing their traditional land and resources and they’re heavily affected by the consequences of their immediate environment being destroyed,” the environmental advocate said Development puts people at the beginning and end of any wealth creation initiative.” Contacted by email as part of our investigation SOSUCAM did not respond to our requests for an interview it was contacted by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre to answer allegations involving its actions SOSUCAM is particularly committed to “respecting the strictest principles of corporate social responsibility”, says Jean-Pierre Champeaux, the Director General of SOSUCAM in his letter to the centre the company has implemented a policy that goes beyond its obligations in this area strives to identify actions for environmentally and community-friendly agriculture and implements a policy on occupational health and safety SOSUCAM does not refute the facts raised in the article and moreover acknowledges the existence of the cases of accidents resulting from its activities in the locality of Nkoteng in particular the one that led to the death of Mr Mballa Olomo and the bus accident in April 2023 the injured were immediately treated by the company’s medical team and local hospitals “Sosucam has ensured that the victims of the mentioned accidents received free treatment not to mention the financial and moral support of several company executives It is important for us to point out here that Sosucam declares all of its employees and pays the social contributions due to the National Social Welfare Fund The latter ensures the payment of compensation to victims of work accidents in Cameroon.” These statements corroborate the testimonies gathered by local sources without refuting the findings gathered in the workers’ union report a victim of a work accident on SOSUCAM’s plantations What can solve growing conflicts between agricultural giants and communities in Cameroon? Latest from the Mongabay podcast: ‘It’s Not the End of the World’ book assumptions & omissions spark debate FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post Update (12 March, 2024): This article was updated with comments by SOSUCAM. See their full statement here. The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history 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 […] Over 150 hectares of sugarcane fields have been destroyed in Cameroon due to violent clashes between workers at the Société Sucrière du Cameroun (SOSUCAM) and police stems from protests over harsh working conditions Workers have denounced what they describe as slavery-like conditions pointing to the physical toll of cutting sugarcane in difficult conditions for little pay One anonymous worker shared that while the job is gruelling they endure it because they have no choice highlighting the poor wages and heavy workloads The worker also pointed out that dense sugarcane fields make the work even harder and much of the land no longer yields productive crops due to its proximity to urban areas The situation escalated after workers staged a strike resulting in one death and several injuries and SOSUCAM’s operations have been at a standstill for nearly ten days with many activities slowed down as tensions remain high confirmed the deadly altercation and described the damage caused during the unrest He added that the workers had a list of demands The images of the violence sparked outrage across the political spectrum in Cameroon announced on Friday that it would increase workers’ salaries and monthly bonuses This move aims to address some of the grievances but many workers remain sceptical until their broader demands are fully met (Business in Cameroon) - Work has resumed at Cameroon Sugar Corporation (Sosucam) but the situation remains far from normal after a strike by sugarcane cutters disrupted operations during the crucial harvest period and there are still significant challenges in fully restarting production According to union representatives interviewed by Business in Cameroon the sugarcane cutting operations are still running at a reduced pace “Work hasn’t fully resumed,” one union leader explained operations are only partially back on track "Of the 1,026 cane cutters expected in the fields only 533 have returned to their posts," said an internal company source The situation is better at the Mbandjock site where 800 of the 850 workers have resumed work after the strike president of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Cameroon (CSTC) at Sosucam explained that some workers chose to go home disheartened by the lack of satisfactory responses from management to their demands Most of the sugarcane cutters at Sosucam come from the Far North region of Cameroon they make up the majority of the workforce at the sugar sites The partial resumption is also linked to workers’ demands for the release of their colleagues arrested during the protests on February 3 and 4 in Mbandjock and Nkoteng several stores were looted during the riots leading store owners to file complaints against the cane cutters The unions are concerned that the sugar campaign has already been heavily disrupted and they fear it will negatively impact the company’s results for the year Sosucam highlights the resumption of work at the Mbandjock and Nkoteng sites posting images and videos with triumphant captions "Back in business!" reads one of their posts "Our teams are mobilized for a dynamic resumption of activities at our sites let's move forward for sustainable and efficient sugar production," another post announces and the machines are back up and running after about two weeks of inactivity "The crushing season is in full swing at our sites We are doing everything we can to provide you with 100% Terroir sugar crafted with our expertise and passion," Sosucam communicated The strike by Sosucam’s sugarcane cutters began on January 25 triggered by a delayed salary advance from two mobile phone operators culminating in violent clashes between the workers and law enforcement on February 3 and 4 The aftermath was severe: one worker was killed around 150 hectares of sugarcane were burned after a meeting with stakeholders in Nkoteng Sosucam’s management agreed to raise the base salary for sugarcane cutters from CFA56,000 to CFA57,000 along with increases in health and dirtiness allowances these increases were deemed insufficient by the workers who are demanding a base salary of CFA105,000 was founded in 1965 and is 74% owned by French investors and 26% by the government of Cameroon The company claims to provide 8,000 direct and indirect jobs Despite its strategic position in the market Sosucam is facing difficulties in meeting the national demand often forcing the government to authorize sugar imports to fill the gap (Business in Cameroon) - During the first quarter this year the Cameroonian arm of French Somdiaa reported a stock of nearly 52,000 tons of sugar The volume is distributed as follows: 11,000 tons in Mbandjock 2,000 tons in Douala and 600 tons in Ngaoundéré supply of professional networks covers 150 tons of sugar in Yaoundé 100 tons in Douala and 150 tons in Ngaoundéré “It is a guarantee of market coverage as the deadlines approach i.e the entry into production of brewery companies in charge of the commercial and marketing operations at Sosucam which leads the market (70% of market share) experienced a difficult time and stock stood at more than 45,000 tons of sugar (more than 3 months of national consumption volume) Sosucam has considered stopping its activities because of massive imports ; a situation that increases stocks This led the Presidency of the Republic to ban massive imports Sosucam plans to produce nearly 130,000 tons of sugar 22,000 hectares of sugar cane will be harvested at the two sites in Mbandjock and Nkoteng Processing of 1.4 million tons of cane is planned