Backroom Bullying: The Role of the United States Government in the Herakles Farms’ Land Grab in Cameroon

Backroom Bullying: The Role of the United States Government in the Herakles Farms’ Land Grab in Cameroon, shows how bullying by US government officials may have played a critical role in the granting of nearly 20,000 ha by the Cameroonian government to the US-based firm Herakles Farms in 2013, instead of the cancellation of clearly flawed project.

Using information obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, this report reveals not only the bullying tactics of the US Government, but the blatant contradictions between the US government’s position on Herakles Farms and the forest conservation projects it funds in the region. It also shows that the Cameroonian government was sympathetic to and concerned about local opposition to the project, suggesting that US government pressure may have been a critical factor in the decision.