A storm of resistance is rising from Sinoe County, where the Nitrain Community Forest has filed a blistering complaint against Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), accusing the palm oil giant of land grabs, forest destruction, and human rights abuses.
The complaint, lodged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Monrovia by the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), demands accountability for what locals describe as years of exploitation. “The Liberian government should ensure GVL restores the forests it has destroyed and provides measurable compensation for lands taken without consent,” declared Dennis Broh, a Nitrain leader. “Liberia’s forests should benefit its people, not a company that treats both citizens and the environment with contempt.”
The allegations strike at the heart of Liberia’s environmental laws, with claims that GVL’s operations violate the Land Rights Act and other statutes. The EPA has been urged to investigate and enforce penalties against the company, which locals say has encroached on community lands with impunity.
GVL’s record is already marred by international condemnation. In 2018, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) found the company guilty of land grabs and rights abuses, ordering renegotiations with affected communities — a mandate GVL has ignored. Similarly, the High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) confirmed in 2021 that GVL cleared 1,000 hectares of Nitrain forest without consent, demanding restoration that has yet to occur.
Frustrated by years of waiting for international watchdogs, Nitrain has now taken its fight to the national stage. “It’s no secret that GVL has destroyed Liberia’s rich forests, grabbed land from communities, and failed to deliver on its promises,” said James Otto, SDI’s lead campaigner. “Despite being ordered to restore 1,000 hectares of forest, GVL has not complied.”
GVL’s 2010 concession agreement with the Liberian government granted it 220,000 hectares of land for 65 years, making it the largest palm oil operator in the country. But allegations of broken promises, environmental devastation, and human rights abuses have dogged its operations ever since.
