Read the Initial Assessment published 4 September 2023: English
On 1 December 2022, seven Peruvian NGOs and indigenous organisations (AIDESEP, FECONAU, FPP, IDL, Kené, EIA and CCCA) submitted a specific instance to the Dutch NCP alleging that Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., a Dutch company specialised in agricultural commodities, had not observed the General Policies (Chapter II), Disclosure (Chapter III), Human Rights (Chapter IV), Environment (Chapter VI) and Consumer Interests (Chapter VIII) provisions of the Guidelines. Specifically, the submitters allege that since 2020 LDC entered into, and developed, business relationships with SAP and the Ocho Sur Group to source crude palm oil from the Peruvian extraction plant through its commercial office in Singapore, despite abundant public information concerning the grave environmental and human rights impacts of illegal deforestation by the Ocho Sur Group,. As such, LDC has, according to the submitters, failed to conduct adequate due diligence in its business operations and across its supply chain to prevent and address those impacts, or to use its significant leverage to ensure responsible business conduct compliant with the Guidelines in its business relationships.
On 4 September 2023, following coordination with the Peruvian NCP, the Dutch NCP published an initial assessment deciding to accept the specific instance for further examination. The NCP made an offer of good offices, which both parties accepted.