Farmers urge UNDP to cut ties with Bidco for allegedly displacing smallholder farmers, among other human rights concerns
"Ugandan farmers want to cut ties with Bidco"
Ugandan farmers want the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to cut ties with Kenya’s Bidco and investigate it for alleged malpractices against Ugandan, Kenyan and Tanzanian growers. Bugala Farmers’ Association opposes Bidco Africa’s membership of the Business Call to Action (BCtA) hosted by UNDP. The firm joined the call committing to create 60,000 jobs across the region by 2019. The Business Call to Action — an alliance of six donors including UNDP) — challenges companies to develop innovative business models that achieve commercial success and development outcomes...
The petition cites Bidco Africa’s failure to comply with court orders to compensate farmers for their land; and the company’s labour practices in East Africa. It also points out the firm’s alleged tax evasion in Kenya; and the deforestation of land for its palm oil production in Uganda...
“The Bugala Farmers Association calls on UNDP and its senior leadership to examine the morally questionable association of such a distinguished UN organisation with such a blatant violator of human rights that is Bidco Africa,” says the petition. “The evidence of Bidco Africa’s poor business practices is well documented, and UNDP must immediately disassociate itself with such a company.