This post is also available in: Spanish
By Elizabeth Scambler, MCC Disaster Management Coordinator, Mesoamerica & Caribbean
Since before I moved to Honduras almost 2 years ago, I had heard about conflicts in the Bajo Aguan, a fertile region in the north. Little did I know that my snacking habits were so closely connected.
Conflict over land tenure between campesino organizations and palm oil and snack food giant Corporación Dinant has fueled a series of human rights abuses including forced evictions, inappropriate use of private and public security forces, torture, killings and abductions. Since 2009, over 100 people have been killed. Threats and murders of journalists, lawyers, and other human rights defenders related to the conflict have gone uninvestigated and unpunished.
Others have written in depth about the conflict; here are a few articles and reports with more details:
Human Rights Watch Report, “There are no investigations here”
Human Rights Watch: Honduras: Unidad especial investigará crímenes en el Bajo Aguán
New York Times: In Honduras, Land Struggles Highlight Post-Coup Polarization
Book: Grabbing Power: The New Struggles for Land, Food and Democracy in Northern Honduras
I admit that I fail to fully understand the details of the conflict. I haven’t visited the area nor do I know anyone closely involved. However, recently I realized that my lack of intimate understanding, personal connection and geographic distance does not remove me from being a part of the crisis.
It turns out that my favorite brand of plantain chips are made by Corporacion Dinant. Likewise, all the cooking oil and packaged tomato products I was buying are also on the list. I discovered that every time I go to the grocery store, or buy something from apulperia (corner store) I am funding a corporation implicit in militarism and human rights violations.
The most available brands of cooking oil, tomato paste, bleach, and ketchup, among others, are produced by Corporacion Dinant.
Since then, I have attempted to find alternatives to the Dinant products I previously consumed. I do not pretend that my small boycott will make a difference. I recognize that real change requires more voices and more robust action, but it is a start. My $20 a month directed to other products certainly cannot compare to a $30 million loan from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) to Dinant. A recent World Bank ombudsman report from January 2014 shows that the IFC failed to do due diligence regarding the human rights and environmental risks of their loan. This is a serious lapse. However, how easily I criticize these international institutions, but should I not also be required to do due diligence to where I put my money? Despite the difference in scale of our contributions, we are both implicit in funding these crimes.
As my fellow Canadian David Suzuki said, “Each time we make a purchase, we become part of that system that exploits people and ecosystems.” This a reminder that I do not live in isolation; every action of mine is connected to others somewhere else. While I cannot do everything (and I note my own hypocrisy in that I am not informed about everything I consume), I am intentionally moving towards growing what I can, purchasing from local farmers, and avoiding packaged foods. In this case, I am also making an effort to avoid all products produced by the Dinant company, which is protagonistic in a documented, bloody conflict.
Dinant products include:
- -Chips: Ranchitas, Yummies, Zambos
-Mazola Oil and margarine
-XIXI candies
-All “Issima” products (Sofrito, ketchups, beans, tomato paste, soups, spaghetti, canned vegetables, etc)
-Zixx bleach
-Schilo’s hot sauce
Dear Elizabeth, as a person who lives in Honduras you should already know that not everything you read or hear is true here in Honduras, I live in Ceiba which is not close to the conflict area but not as near, everybody keeps blaming the big corporations such as Dinant and Jaremar which you don’t mention here, I am Honduran and I am not proud to say this but the “campesinos” you so call them that participate in these land grabs are people who want the easy way out the have ties with drug dealers who give them weapons, and you say this human rights watch hast stated that all of this happened, did you know she is funded bu MUCA one of the peasant organization involved in the conflict of course she is going to favor them and that two of it’s former board members were accused of stealing land from farmers and killing their own followers and blaming it on the big corporations, because lets be real for a while what is the easiest ways to make an easy buck in latin america “blame it on the big corporations” why don’t they interview the farmers who sell their fruit to these companies so hear what they have to say, that is because they will tell another story, like MUCA black mailing them for a part of their land which is already in prime production, they risk their lives daily too for their families and nobody tells their story, I am surprised that Corporation Dinant and Jaremar haven’t taken this stories and made them public to counter this lies, I don’t know if you read Honduran news papers or watch any of the news on tv but drug traffic in the aguan region is a large part of this conflict and the new president of honduras is very focused on reducing this you will see how this conflict in the aguan region will consume itself. I respect your point of view but if you should see the other side the story too this never happened before Mel Zelaya was our president he caused all of this because his brother was one of the major drug traffickers in honduras and Zelaya himself a avid cocaine user so there you have the truth from a humble Honduras working class man I am not rich but work hard and thank God everyday for everything I have.