A list of all known plantations and landholdings bought by the Teachers Group since 1983
Any further information or corrections welcomed!
We would also like information on where produce from these farms is traded.
Material to be added
Links have been restored on this page
CARIBBEAN
Large fruit and vegetable plantations on Grand Cayman at Furtherland Farm. At least 115 hectares (bananas, citrus, mango and pumpkin). Since (?). Active. Owned by Jersey registered offshore company Fairbank, Cooper and Lyle. Possibly separate plantation at High Rock Estate No information on where produce is sold.
St Lucia
Mount Lezard Estate, bought in 1986 despite local opposition and apparently run by a UK-registered management company – active.
The River Doree plantation is a 332 hectare plantation of pepper, cassava and mahogany owned by Jersey registered offshore company Fairbank, Cooper and Lyle. Date of acquisition unknown. A third plantation is probable at Park Estate. Teachers Group has two St Lucia registered companies, Park Estate Ltd and River Doree Holding Ltd.
St Vincent
Banana plantation at Orange Hill Estate bought in March 1985 despite local opposition and using shell companies to get around local laws. The Teachers group was subsequently expelled from St Vincent, but has since returned. We are not certain whether this plantation still belongs to Tvind or whether there are others. We know of two likely farming companies registered on St Vincent, Orange Hill Estate and Windward Properties Ltd.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
The Teachers Group is one of the largest producers of bananas, mango and seafood in Belize and produces 40 per cent of the country’s banana exports.
It owns and operates Monkey River Estate, a vast plantation bought in 1986. Originally this was the largest privately-owned mango farm in Belize. The estate now produces mango, citrus, banana, cassava, shrimps,and limes. The TG also owns a large area of forest in southern Belize.
The ultimate owner is offshore-registered company Fairbank, Cooper and Lyle, through a subsidiary registered in the Cayman Islands. We have a list of more than 15 further companies registered in Belize.
Brazil
Fazenda Jatobà (also known as Floryl), a 92,000-hectare agricultural estate, bought by the Teachers Group in 1994 for $12 million. Ultimately owned by Jersey offshore Fairbank, Cooper and Lyle.
This is the plantation at the heart of the legal action for fraud against Amdi Petersen and Teachers Group leaders in Denmark in 2003-2006. Danish police Department of Serious Economic Crime alleged that to make the purchase, the Teachers Group laundered millions of dollars from a charitable trust (the Humanitarian Foundation) through a maze of front companies and fake charities. Although not guilty verdicts were delivered, the Danish public prosecutor has appealed and outstanding wanted notices have been issued by Interpol.
Our file on Fazenda Jatoba
Ecuador
Banana plantations. Teachers Group companies registered in Ecuador include Ecpomartes SA, Frioport SA, Grupo Danés and Jokay SA.
El Salvador
Teachers Group companies registered in El Salvador include: Banana Tropic SA de C.V.
Venezuela
Teachers Group companies registered in Venezuela include El Rosario and La Vigia S.A.
ASIA
Timber trading, although the Russian-registered, Teachers Group companies logging in Siberia now appear to have closed down in 2006. The story is told elsewhere on this site. The companies were Taiga Timber Industries, Taiga Timber Trading and Trans World Forest Enterprise.
Malaysia
Logging. The Malaysian company conducting the Teachers Group’s Malaysian timber trade is McCorry & Co. Associated companies we have found, all registered in the USA, are: Allwood McCorry Trading Company, Allwoods Trading Company Ltd, McCorry (USA) Corp, McCorry Timber Ltd Inc and McCorry & Co Limited Inc. Other Malaysian companies we have records of are Nasib Daya SB and South China Sea Farming Ltd.
AFRICA
There are known to be large eucalyptus plantations and agricultural landholdings around the Humana headquarters at Shamva.
Commercial farms growing various crops. Teachers Group companies registered in Mozambique include Mozambique Agricultural Company Lda
Mauritius
We believe there is likely to have been logging, owing to the discovery of a company called Trayton Mauritius.
Elsewhere in Africa
The Teachers Group is or has recently also been active in Angola, Botswana, Congo, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. We believe it is likely there could be landholdings in any of these countries.
PACIFIC AREA
Teachers Group companies operating in Fiji we know of are Pacific Farming and Pacific Produce Ltd
OTHER COMPANIES
These Teachers Group companies are – or have been – involved in agriculture, lanholdings or the fruit trade. We would welcome further information on these. Can you help?
Atlantic Trading Holdings (International) Ltd (n/k) – fruit trade
University of the Seven Seas (n/k)
Nellcombe Ltd (location unknown) – landholdings?
Challacombe Trading (Gibraltar) – timber
Isterødgaard aps (Denmark) – farming
Løvdahl a/s (Denmark)
One World Enterprise (n/k) – timber
P13 a/s (Denmark) – farming
Tropical Farming Atlantic (Jersey)
Tropical Farming Caribbean (n/k) – farming
Tropical Farming Pacific (n/k) – farming
Tropical Fruit (Netherlands) – fruit trade
World Trading (Netherlands)
There is evidence of a substantial network of other offshore companies used by the Teachers Group to manage different landholdings abroad. See our A-Z of all Teachers group companies and enterprises
Do you have information about a Teachers Group company? Please tell us
Last updated: 12th March 2010
