Switzerland is the world's largest hub for trading agricultural commodities. Over 50 percent of the grain, 40 percent of the sugar and every third coffee and cocoa bean are traded by Swiss traders.
A pioneering research by Public Eye shows that the agricultural trading groups have become plantation owners on a large scale. The traders in South America, Africa and Asia grow sugar cane, palm oil and oranges, among other things, on over 550 plantations. The plantations controlled by Swiss traders cover a total area of over 2.7 million hectares. This corresponds to more than six times the total Swiss arable land or 50 times the area of Lake Constance.
This leads to evictions, labor law violations, deforestation and land grabbing.
On our new website schweizer-plantagen.ch you will find a world map with an overview of the plantations as well as ten exemplary cases of human rights and environmental violations:
to the world map "Swiss Plantations"
The grievances in the cultivation of agricultural raw materials illustrate the need for political action. Once again it is evident that political Switzerland is avoiding any regulation of this high-risk industry.
For Public Eye,
Roman Bolliger
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