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Societe Financiere Des Caoutchoucs (SOCFIN) Group operates 15 plantations and/or factories across eight African countries and two in Asia. The company specialises in developing and managing palm oil and rubber plantations, as well as processing and trading these commodities.
SOCFIN committed to a Responsible Management Policy in March 2017 and became a member of Earthworm Foundation the following month. Since then, the partnership has focused on supporting the implementation of this policy across SOCFIN's operations.
The collaboration combines ground-level engagement with strategic support. It includes group-wide initiatives such as developing grievance mechanisms, engaging stakeholders, and strengthening internal processes. Based on their unique challenges, targeted support is also provided to specific subsidiaries.
Download past annual reports:
Socfin Annual Report 2023
Socfin Annual Report 2022
Socfin Annual Report 2021
Socfin Annual Report 2020
A stakeholder engagement strategy was developed for SOCAPALM, LAC, SAC and BRABANTA. RSPO approved the restoration project concept note for SOCAPALM. Participatory mapping training was held in SOCAPALM and BRABANTA. Two CSE trainees completed internships, supporting sustainability improvements in LAC and SOCAPALM Kienké.
Gender committee members in SOCAPALM and Brabanta were trained, with roles defined and action plans developed. Health and safety training on accident investigation took place in SAC and LAC. RSPO approved the restoration compensation plan. Child labour profiling began in LAC. Brabanta held entrepreneurship training and pledged project funding.
Investigations into Socfin’s operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Nigeria reinforced EF and Socfin’s transparency efforts. Key progress included workers’ rights training in Brabanta, women-led income-generating activities, improved wild FFB purchasing procedures, HCV guidance drafting in LAC, and ongoing renovation of workers’ accommodations across subsidiaries.
Palm oil is a highly versatile and inexpensive vegetable oil used in many consumer goods products. It is also an extremely efficient crop, producing as much as 10 times per hectare as other vegetable oils. But its role as a major driver of economic growth is also associated with the loss of tropical forest habitats.
Earthworm Foundation and Socfin’s partnership supports the implementation of Socfin’s Responsible Management Policy across its operations. This includes oil palm plantations, where we work with them to address common environmental and social challenges such as deforestation, land rights, and working conditions.
Natural rubber is a key raw material used in tyres, footwear, and a range of industrial products. Harvested from rubber trees, it provides livelihoods for millions. However, rubber production is also linked to deforestation, land use change, and social challenges in tropical regions where it is primarily grown.
Earthworm Foundation and Socfin’s partnership supports the implementation of Socfin’s Responsible Management Policy across its operations. This includes natural rubber plantations, where we work with them to address common environmental and social challenges such as deforestation, land rights, and working conditions.
