Agricultural giant socfin ends partnership with sustainability consultant, leaving community grievances unresolved

Agribusiness corporation Socfin has quietly severed ties with the Earthworm Foundation, a Switzerland-based sustainability consultant that had been investigating serious human rights and environmental violations at the company’s plantations across Africa and Southeast Asia. The partnership, which began in 2017 when Socfin faced mounting allegations of misconduct, officially ended in late 2025 with both organizations describing the split as “mutual.”

During their collaboration, Earthworm’s investigations validated numerous community complaints against Socfin’s operations, including disturbing allegations of sexual harassment and water pollution at Liberia’s Salala Rubber Corporation. These findings aligned closely with a separate four-year investigation conducted by the International Finance Corporation’s independent watchdog in 2023, which Socfin had previously rejected.

The termination of this partnership raises critical questions about the fate of ongoing community grievances and whether affected populations will receive adequate remediation. While Earthworm spokesperson Jotica Sehgal praised Socfin’s engagement with their recommendations, and Socfin’s Ludovic Saint-Pol claimed the collaboration had achieved its “main objectives,” many community concerns appear to remain unaddressed.

The Earthworm Foundation, which works with major food industry players including Nestlé and PepsiCo to improve supply chain practices, had been tasked with helping Socfin develop a Responsible Management Policy and establish proper grievance mechanisms. With this relationship now ended, affected communities may find themselves with limited recourse for addressing ongoing environmental and human rights issues at Socfin’s plantations.