"Tate & Lyle accused of betraying Cambodia families whose land was allegedly taken," 2 Jan 2021

Tate & Lyle has been accused of betraying 200 families in Cambodia who have fought for years to secure compensation for land they say was taken from them to make way for a sugar plantation.

Residents in Koh Kong, Cambodia, say their livelihoods, and their children’s futures, were devastated when their land was taken from them in a process that began in 2006. The land was later used to supply sugar to Tate & Lyle...

In 2013, 200 families from Sre Ambel district launched a lawsuit against Tate & Lyle in the high court in London, claiming that Tate & Lyle knew – or should have known – of the allegations against its supplier. They demanded compensation for the value of sugar grown on land they allege still belongs to them...

Drawn-out negotiations followed, and families say that they were led to believe that they could expect significant compensation from Tate & Lyle. Yet, earlier this year, they say, the sugar company said it would not pay anything...

When asked whether it intended to pay compensation to affected families, Tate & Lyle Sugars said it would continue to use any leverage it had “to ensure the villagers receive financial compensation from KSL and its ex-business partner”.