"At what cost?: Irresponsible business and the murder of land and environmental defenders  in 2017"

…207 defenders were killed in 2017, making it the worst year on record. And why many, many more were attacked, threatened or criminalised for showing the courage to speak out for their communities, their way of life and our environment…One of  the most shocking facts outlined in this report is the number of killings committed by government security forces at the behest of their political bosses and in  league with industry…[G]overnments and  business have a very serious case to answer…Ultimately, attacks against land and environmental defenders stem from our voracious appetite for agricultural goods like palm oil and coffee, and for fossil fuels, minerals and timber. Extracting these resources requires an increasing amount of land, turning it into a highly prized commodity…Companies have a responsibility to their customers, who should have confidence that the products they buy are not fuelling human rights abuses, cultural destruction or environmental devastation… Agribusiness was the most dangerous sector, overtaking  mining for the first time ever…More massacres occurred in 2017 than ever before… Almost 60% of the murders registered in 2017 were from  Latin America…Some increased recognition  and action was taken by governments and business,  but much more must be done. [Refers to Silvicultural Industries].