Cameroon: U.S. Firm Under Fire Over Palm Oil Project

24 September 2012

A huge palm oil project in Cameroon's rainforest, led by a U.S.-based agribusiness, Herakles Farms, is stirring up controversy. Environmentalists warn it will destroy precious forest and displace local people from their land, while others, including some village chiefs, say it will boost development.

Palm oil, one of the cheapest edible oils, is being used increasingly by the commercial food industry, and is a key ingredient in some biofuels. As a result, global demand has rocketed and agricultural corporations are buying up large tracts of forest land to expand production.

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