Cruel Outcomes: An In-Depth Look at Forced Labor in the Palm Oil Industry with Recommendations for Reform

This document does not seek to revisit or summarize previous research and conclusions about abuse suffered by migrant workers entering Malaysia to work on palm oil plantations. There are many excellent reports and materials available that examine the abuse of workers and the failures of companies to improve their plantation management practices, such as Amnesty International’s Trapped: The Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia, (2010); Business and Human Rights S.L (www.bandhr.com); Fair Labour Association’s Mapping Study on Seasonal Agriculture Workers and Worker Feedback and Grievance Mechanisms in the Agricultural Sector, (2018); Suisse Solidar’s Exploited and Illegalised: The Lives of Palm Oil Migrant Workers in Sabah, (2019), and Earthworm Foundation’s Insights Into Recruitment Costs and Practices Amongst Small-Medium Sized Companies In The Palm Oil Industry In Peninsular Malaysia, (2019).