Forced Labor, Palm Oil, and Security in Asia
In April 2020, after three years of research and gathering evidence, Liberty Shared (an international non-profit that aims to prevent human trafficking) submitted a petition to U.S. Customs and Border Protection alleging that Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, the world’s largest palm oil plantation business, was importing palm oil products that may be partly or wholly made with forced labor into the United States. This talk will examine what led to the petition and the data and methods used to collect evidence and prepare the petition. The talk will also discuss how an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection can hold companies, such as Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, accountable for forced labor violations, and lead to improvements in working conditions and reductions in worker vulnerability related to their recruitment journey.
Duncan Jepson is the Managing Director and founder of Liberty Shared (www.libertyshared.org). He is a director, writer and producer of several books and films, and has produced documentaries for the National Geographic and Discovery Channels. He is a lawyer by profession.