A detailed risk analysis uncovers how Guatemala’s booming palm oil industry is intertwined with land grabs, labor exploitation, and environmental harm.
Through extensive fieldwork in Guatemala’s main palm-growing regions, this study documents serious labor and human rights risks—from forced displacement and land conflict to exploitative recruitment and forced labor. It focuses particularly on Sayaxché, where communities have lost farmland and migrant workers face deceptive contracts, withheld pay, and restricted movement. The report connects these abuses to broader structural drivers, including inequality, violence, and weak enforcement. It concludes with recommendations for government and industry actors to strengthen oversight, protect workers, and promote responsible palm oil production.
Humanity United, Palm Oil, Guatemala
