Palm oil, multinationals and Switzerland’s colonial legacy

In the heart of Sumatra lies the grave of a Swiss man. It is part of a plantation founded by Swiss people more than a hundred years ago – and the land over which a struggle continues to this day.

The investigative journalism team REFLEKT has travelled to the heart of global palm oil production to uncover a little-known chapter in Swiss colonial history. The journalists meet villagers who have been fighting for land for decades, piece together accounts of violent conflicts and uncover controversial land titles. The trail leads back to Switzerland: former Swiss plantations now feature in the supply chains of corporations such as Nestlé and Barry Callebaut.

On stage, the journalists recount what they discovered in Sumatra. Together with guests, they discuss how colonial land relations continue to have an impact today, what responsibility companies bear within global supply chains – and what this has to do with the hotly debated free trade agreement between Switzerland and Malaysia.

Host and Guests: Further information to follow

Journalistic research: Further information to follow

REFLEKT was founded in 2019 as Switzerland’s first independent, not-for-profit investigative team. Since then, a small but highly effective team has been carrying out major investigative projects with a significant impact. To expose abuses and promote transparency, they focus on investigative projects lasting several months – the sort that traditional newsrooms are increasingly unable to undertake. By presenting their work in an engaging way and publishing it across various channels, they make their findings accessible to the widest possible audience. In this way, they promote quality in journalism, increase public awareness and contribute to media diversity and a functioning democracy.

• Step-free access

• Duration: An approximately 100-minute event with an intermission

• Language: In spoken German