World Bank is criticised for focusing on climate-smart agriculture, including industrial approaches, instead of more sustainable agroecological approaches.
Agriculture
Land
News
World Bank targeted over role in land grabs
As activists staged global protests highlighting the potential damage from new World Bank agriculture rankings, Cambodian groups expressed concerns over reports that the Bank is considering resuming loans to Cambodia.
Land
News
Call on World Bank to stop Uzbekistan loans
The World Bank has been called on to postpone two proposed loans to the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan, given the risks of forced and child labour.
Land
News
IFC criticised for bad smell of Ukraine loan
An IFC loan to Danish pig farming company in Ukraine has resulted in a complaint to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsdman because of the air pollution and harm to local people's health.
Land
Analysis
Corporatising agriculture
World Bank’s Benchmarking the Business of Agriculture rankings are unlikely to benefit the world’s smallholder farmers, but could instead facilitate corporate land grabs.
Land
News
World Bank and agriculture: Cultivating controversy?
The World Bank’s push for ‘climate-smart agriculture’, including a new joint initiative, was criticised by CSOs. An Inspection Panel case on forced labour in Uzbekistan cotton fields was postponed for up to 12 months.
IFI governance
Background
CSO roundtable with World Bank Group executive directors
Sponsor: World Bank Group Panelists: Merza Hassan (Executive Director for Kuwait, and Dean of the…
Private Sector
Analysis
IFC funding to financial intermediaries: unfit for purpose
An IFC investment in ANZ Royal Bank has been criticised after the bank was implicated in a “massive land grab” in Cambodia. Further cases from Guatemala and Honduras reinforce calls for IFC to rethink its investments in financial intermediaries.
Rights
Analysis
IFC's bitter tea
As the CAO publishes its assessment report of its investigation into allegations of human rights violations by IFC-funded APPL, Tata Tea's parent company in Assam new evidence emerges of the IFC's failings.
Rights
Analysis
IFC fails to act on human rights abuses in Honduras
IFC accountability mechanism formally links World Bank client to human rights abuses on palm oil project in Honduras, and highlights systemic problems with IFC procedures.
