Friends of the Earth Africa (FoE Africa) has addressed the ECOWAS Parliament, urging stronger actions against environmental degradation and human rights abuses linked to large-scale agricultural companies.
The environmental group emphasized ongoing violations in areas where agri-food companies operate, highlighting concerns such as deforestation, land grab, pollution, erosion of local food systems, and gender-based violence against environmental human rights defenders.
FoE Africa called for region-wide policies preventing financial institutions from financing projects that harm communities and the environment, advocating for people-centric solutions like community forest management and agroecology. They also urged respect for the rights of local communities in economic partnership agreements and emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for criminalizing and harassing environmental defenders.
FoE Africa called for withdrawal from agreements granting undue influence to companies and stressed the need for sustainable and responsible business practices promoting environmental conservation and human rights protection. The demands underscore the ECOWAS Parliament’s role in addressing the growing impact of large agricultural companies in the region.
