I could not find an answer to your question about the top three oil palm plantation businesses in Latin America that I feel particularly confident about. Nevertheless, I do have some information, and I believe I can point you in the right direction to continue your search. As with many of the questions we receive---because we receive them from vanguard progressive groups---the research work required is often pioneering.

I began my search by trying to find the SIC (OSHA's Standard Industry Classification) or NAICS (US Census Bureau's North American Industry Classification System) code for the industry. Unfortunately, oil palm plantation management isn't a large enough industry yet to have it's own US Government industry code. So, as far as I can tell, palm oil production is classified under SIC 2076 "Vegetable Oil Mills, Except Corn, Cottonseed, and Soybean," and NAICS 311223 "Other Oilseed Processing." According to OSHA, the 2076 category includes "Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing vegetable oils, cake and meal, except corn, cottonseed, and soybean, or in processing similar purchased oils other than into edible cooking oils." (See: http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sic_manual.display?id=464&tab=description.) The US Census bureau says of NAICS 311223: "This U.S. industry comprises establishments engaged in crushing oilseeds." The only other related code I could find, 1111, is for "Oilseed and Grain Farming." (See http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/def/NDEF111.HTM#N1111.)

I'm not a business librarian, but I believe SIC is being fazed out by OSHA, which is, or has, converted to NAICS (See here, under "NAICS Manual": http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/index.html.) The US Census Bureau, in turn, seems to allow individual businesses to choose their own code! (See the FAQ page here: http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/drnaics.htm.)

In any case, I looked up all of these codes in Business and Company Resource Center database, and found many companies listed using the SIC code, but none using NAICS 311223 or 1111. I had to perform advanced searches using both a code and a country name. I posted the searches, and the results, below.

I found a lot of information that I thought was trustworthy from the World Rainforest Movement, which has written extensively on their website about palm oil plantations. (See: http://www.wrm.org.uy/index.html.) Click on "Information by Subject," and scroll down to "Oil Palm Plantations.")

Another website I found helpful, but not necessarily trustworthy, was the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil website, which seemed to me to be primarily engaged in public relations (aka propaganda). (See: http://www.sustainable-palmoil.org/default.htm.) If you click on "Members," a handy little list of names pops up. Several of these groups and businesses are based in Latin America, including Agropalma, and Fedepalma, both Colombian organizations. Colombia is the leading producer of palm oil in Latin America (See attached articles.)

Agropalma is described as "controlling the entire production chain, from seedling to RBD conventional and organic palm and palm kernel oils, vegetable fats and margarines, and more recently, bio-diesel production." (See their website here: http://www.agropalma.com.br/.) Click on the US Flag for English, then click on "Company Profile" to see a list of constituent businesses. I imagine these should be your targets, if they exist. The only glaring absurdity I found was their assertion (click on "Environment") that "the culture of the palm itself is regarded as reforestation." Regarded by whom?

Fedepalma, "The National Federation of Oil Palm Growers of Colombia…was established in 1962 as a business and trade organization for the oil palm agroindustry in Colombia to defend the interests of the oil palm growers, orient them in designing technological and business policies to keep them informed with the latest trends and developments in the global market for oilseeds, oils and fats." (See their website here: http://www.fedepalma.org/index.shtm.)

I urge you to visit the World Rainforest Movement website and look at their oil palm plantations page, which has links to a few other organizations. These people should be able to give you answers or at least referrals.

I assume you know a little about oil palm plantations, but here's the Wikipedia article I started with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil. There are links at the bottom of this page.

I hope this helps!

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Top 10 Countries
(% of world production)
1. Malaysia (44%)
2. Indonesia (34%)
3. Nigeria (6%)
4. Thailand (3%)
5. Colombia (2%)
6. Cote d'Ivoire (1%)
7. Ecuador (1%)
8. Cameroon (1%)
9. Congo (1%)
10. Ghana (1%)

http://www.uga.edu/fruit/oilpalm.htm, from FAO Agricultural Series Bulletub 148 (2002)

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Searches
The names of these businesses, not to mention this cut-and-paste business, can be confusing. Each line is a different business, typically consisting of a name ("TEAM S.A.") and a city ("Santafe de Bogota DC"), with sales listed in millions of US dollars.

1
Search: 2076 (SIC) and Colombia (Country)
Name, City, Sales
TEAM S.A. Santafe de Bogota DC $2,226.00 M Sales
C. I. yumbo S.A. Yumbo $87.70 M Sales
C. I. Tequendama S.A. Santa Marta $77.70 M Sales
Grasas S.A. Buga $69.00 M Sales
Grasas Vegetales S.A. Sabaneta $56.40 M Sales
Grasas y Aceites Vegetales S.A. - Gracetales Barranquilla $43.60 M Sales
Fabrica De Grasas y Productos Quimicos S.A. - Grasco Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $40.30
M Sales
Grasas y Derivados S.A. Barranquilla $17.60 M Sales
Lloreda S.A. Yumbo $15.40 M Sales
Sociedad Industrial De Grasas Vegetales S.A. Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $13.30 M Sales
Fabrica Nacional De Grasas S.A. - Fanagra Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $9.60 M Sales
Productora De Grasas y Aceites Vegetales S.A. - Progral Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $8.80
M Sales
Agroindustrias Del Sur Del Cesar Limitada y Cia. S.C.A. - Agroince Limitada
Bucaramanga $6.00 M Sales
Del Llano S.A. Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $5.80 M Sales
Compania Nacional De Sebos Limitada - Conalsebos Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $2.60 M
Sales
Fabrica De Sebos Luis Munoz y Cia Ltda. Santa Fe De Bogota D. C $0.90 M Sales
Fabricas Unidas De Aceites y Grasas Vegetales S.A. Barranquilla $0.10 M Sales

2
2076 (SIC) and Ecuador (Country)
Name, City, Sales
Fabrica de Aceites La Favorita S.A. Guayaquil $461.30 M Sales
Industrias Ales S.A. Quito $0.10 M Sales
Danec S.A. Industrial Quito $0.10 M Sales
Pydaco Cia. Ltda. Quito $0.10 M Sales

3
2076 (SIC) and Mexico (Country)
Name, City, Sales
maltaCleyton Uman $2,385.00 M Sales
Ragasa Industrias S.A. de C.V. Monterrey $731.40 M Sales
Aceites Industriales El Zapote S.A. de C.V. Tlalnepantla de Baz $285.60 M Sales
Oleoproteinas del Sureste S.A. de C.V. Merida $243.30 M Sales
Grupo Aceites del Mayo S.A. de C.V. Navojoa $127.90 M Sales
Union Nacional de Productores de Cacao Villahermosa

4
2076 (SIC) and Venezuela (Country)
Name, City, Sales
Refinadora de Maiz Venezolana C.A. La Encrujida $1,520.90 M Sales
Coposa Consorcio Oleaginoso Portuguesa S.A. Caracas $0.10 M Sales

5
2076 (SIC) and Brazil (Country)
Name, City, Sales
Bunge Alimentos S.A. Sao Paulo $3,866.10 M Sales
Refinacoes de Milho Brasil Ltda. Sao Paulo $2,678.70 M Sales
Braswey S.A. Industria e Comercio Sao Paulo $159.10 M Sales
Importadora de Frutas La Violetera Ltda. Curitiba $31.40 M Sales
Industrias Granfino S.A. Nova Iguacu $28.90 M Sales
CIONE Fortaleza $11.30 M Sales
Industrias J B Duarte S.A. Sao Paulo $0.10 M Sales
Industria Riograndense de Oleos Vegetales Irgovel Pelotas $0.10 M Sales
Brasint Exportacoes e Representacoes Ltda. Rio de Janeiro $0.10 M Sales
Cerapeles Ltda. Caucaia $0.10 M Sales
Industria Comercio e Exportacao Bertol S.A. Passo Fundo $0.10 M Sales
Crodamazon Ltda. Manaus $0.10 M Sales
No results found using NAICS codes

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Company Profiles for the Top Three in Sales (US Dollars)
1. TEAM S.A., Colombia
2. Bunge Alimentos S.A., Brazil
3. Refinadora de Maiz Venezolana C.A., Venezuela

Keep in mind the sales figure does not reflect sales of palm oil, or of the revenues of particular businesses (like oil palm refining, etc.), but reflect the total sales of a companies that are involved in various industries, as you can see by looking at their various SIC and NAICS codes.

1
------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAM S.A.

Autopista Sur No. 57-21
Santafe de Bogota DC
Colombia
Tel: 57 91 711 0077
Fax: 57 91 230 252857 91 270 3632
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Business
Manufacturing: TEAM S.A. is the strategic alliance between 6 Colombian companies: ACEGRASAS, FAGRAVE, GRAVETAL, GRASAS; GARSYPLATS AND CI GRANADOS. These companies are dedicated to the production of food including the manufacture of edible fats and oils, soap, bakery products
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SIC Codes
2075 - Soybean Oil Mills
2076 - Vegetable Oil Mills
2077 - Animal & Marine Fats & Oils
2079 - Edible Fat,nec
2841 - Soap & Detergent

NAICS Codes
311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
325611 - Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing

Annual Sales
$2,226.00 M Sales, Estimate

Employees
1,500, Verification Letter

Sales/Employees
$1,484,000.00

Year Founded
1999

Fiscal Year
Dec 31, 2002

Features
International and Multinational Private company

URL
http://www.team.com.co
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Officers
Juan Miguel Jaramillo Londono - Director of Production
Gerardo Marin Valverde - Purchasing Agent
Hernan Guerrero Sanchez - Director of Finance
Jesus Antonio Jaimes Madrigal - Director of Sales
Martha Moreno Farjas - Director of Personnel
Denise Lew - Director of Public Relations
Guillermo Zuluaga Rodriguez - Senior Vice President
Jose Maria Huertas Amaya - Director of Research
Mauricio A Campillo Orozco - Managing Director
Mauricio Gonzalez Jaramillo - Director of Marketing
Genith Godoy Rincon - Director of Data Processing
Layla Garrido Leal - Director of Public Relations

2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bunge Alimentos S.A.

Av Maria Coelho Aguiar 215, Bloco D 7 andar
Sao Paulo
Brazil
Tel: 55 011 3741 553555 0800 901 234
Fax: 55 011 3741 2943
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Business
Manufacturing: Holding company with interests in the manufactutre of food products
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers

SIC Codes
2075 - Soybean Oil Mills
2041 - Flour and Other Grain Mill Products
2045 - Prepared Flour Mixes and Doughs
2051 - Bread & Other Bakery Products
2052 - Cookies & Crackers
2076 - Vegetable Oil Mills
2098 - Macaroni Spaghetti Vermicelli Noodles
2099 - Food Preparations, Not Elsewhere Classified
6719 - Holding Companies, Not Elsewhere Classified

NAICS Codes
311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
311211 - Flour Milling
311423 - Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
311812 - Commercial Bakeries
311821 - Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
311822 - Flour Mixes and Dough Manufacturing from Purchased Flour
311823 - Pasta Manufacturing
551112 - Offices of Other Holding Companies

Annual Sales
$3,866.10 M Sales, Verification Letter

Profit after tax $199.20 M
Shareholders funds $498.40 M
Employees
6,882, Verification Letter

Sales/Employees
$561,769.00

Year Founded
1905

Fiscal Year
Dec 31, 2003

Features
International public company

URL
http://www.santista.com.br
Email Address
sac@santista.com.br
--------------------------------------------------------------------Officers
Oscar de Paula Bernardes Neto - Chairman of the Board
Bruno Paul Emmanuel Anduze Acher - Director of Finance
Jose Luiz M Liberato - Director of Marketing
Pedro Alexandre G Pinheiro - Director of Personnel
Ruy Roberto Hirschheimer - Director
Martin Braun Lasala - Director
Roberto Teixeira da Costa - Director
Jose Antonio do Prado Fay - Manager
Pedro Alexandre Gomes Pinheiro - Manager
Jose Julio Cardoso de Lucena - Chairman of the Board
Renato Gasparetto - Director of Public Relations
Eliezer Batista da Silva - Director
Martinho da Mota Silveiro Neto - Manager
Lina Paes de Barros Rodrigues - Manager
Carlo Filippo Massimiliano Lovatelli - Manager
Ruy Carlos Cury - Director
Alberto Weisser - Director
Geraldo Hess - Director

3
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Refinadora de Maiz Venezolana C.A.

Carr Nac'l Turmero-La Encrujida
La Encrujida
Venezuela
Tel: 58 0244 61231
Fax: 58 0244 61235
-------------------------------------------------------------------Business
Manufacturing: Corn products
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SIC Codes
2041 - Flour and Other Grain Mill Products
2043 - Cereal Breakfast Foods
2046 - Wet Corn Milling
2076 - Vegetable Oil Mills

NAICS Codes
311211 - Flour Milling
311221 - Wet Corn Milling
311225 - Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
311230 - Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing

Annual Sales
$1,520.90 M Sales, Estimate

Employees
760, Verification Letter

Sales/Employees
$2,001,184.00

Year Founded
1954

Fiscal Year
Dec 31, 2002

Features
International and Multinational Private company
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Officers
Alfonso Albornos Berti - Chairman of the Board
Eduardo Gomez - Director of Sales

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Articles

1
South American Business Information, Nov 20, 2003
Colombia is Latin America's major producer of palm oil.
Colombia is Latin America's major producer of palm oil, which is used in the manufacture of liquid oils, biscuits, soaps, margarine and ice cream. 75% of the production goes to the domestic market, while the remainder is exported to Europe, Mexico and Venezuela. Estimated production for this year is 550,000 m tons, while the industry hopes to increase this to 3.5mil m tons in 2004.

2
South American Business Information, Sept 29, 2003 p1008272u7556
Program to develop palm oil industry.
The industry associations and technical institutions Cenipalma, Fedepalma, and Colciencias are joining efforts to develop the use of palm oil to new products and push forward the Colombian palm oil industry. There are 138 companies that use palm oil derivatives, of which only two produce esters, with the remainder importing items from other countries. The Colombian palm oil industry has an output of 550,000 m tons of oils, 75% absorbed in the domestic market, and 25% exported. Plans are to increase palm oil production to 3.5mil mtpy by 2020 as part of a program that includes improving productivity in an area spreading over 10,000 ha of plantations.
Copyright (c) 2003, South American Business Information, All rights reserved.