NOTE: Here's more information on a story we reported on 11 January 2011 about Nidera, a Dutch-based agribusiness company that is one of Argentina's major GM Roundup Ready soy seed companies. That report, in the Argentine newspaper Pagina12, said that Nidera is being investigated for tax evasion by the Argentine government and that the company was guilty of slave-like treatment of workers and human rights abuses.
Another report, below, says that Nidera has been fined 125,000 euros over worker issues and that company executives have been arrested.
Nidera is a member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), which is about to launch its "responsible soy" label in Europe. The RTRS - which has been widely condemned as a greenwash initiative by over 200 international civil society groups - is heavily supported by the Dutch government, which has recently given it and a "responsible palm oil" equivalent programme a cash injection of 20 million euros of Dutch taxpayers' money.
Nidera denies the allegations against it and denies that it has been fined:
http://www.nidera.com/default.aspx?partId=33&CID=434
http://www.nidera.com/default.aspx?partId=33&CID=435
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Dutch company accused of slavery
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
17 January 2011
[This is an abridged translation of two more detailed articles, the first from Pagina12 of Buenos Aires for January 2, the second from La Jornada of Mexico City for January 8. Links to these original articles at: http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/18017 ]
Argentinian authorities have accused the Dutch grain merchant Nidera one of the largest agri-industry corporations in the world - of human trafficking and tax evasion.
When Argentinian police raided a Nidera plantation near Buenos Aires on 30 December, they found 133 seasonal workers living under conditions that Julio Caraballo, health and safety inspector in San Pedro, said resembled "a concentration camp". Seven of the company's executives were arrested and Nidera was fined 125,000 euros. In addition, the Argentinian tax authorities suspect Nidera of evading 49 million euros in taxes between 2005-2009.
Labour Minister Oscar Cuartango says the conditions under which the workers lived and worked bordered on "crimes against humanity". Two holes in the ground served as toilets, a container for pesticides was used as a bath. They had no electricity, very little drinking water and were not allowed to leave the plantation. The workers were charged exorbitant amounts for food and water, and earned almost no money.
Nidera has denied all charges, claiming that it's "a local issue". The company refused to comment on the arrests of seven of its executives and says it has not received official notification of the alleged tax evasion.
Nidera produces and trades in soy, rice and various seeds and grains, and is active in 22 countries.
In Argentina, the Nidera investigation is seen as an important victory in the government's campaign against the exploitation of farm workers. The Nidera plantation is seen as symptomatic of the situation in Argentinian agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of agricultural workers are believed to be working illegally and under very poor circumstances.