MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Liberia: 'No Commercial Logging' - GVL Debunks Logging Allegations
Liberia: 'No Commercial Logging' - GVL Debunks Logging Allegations
04/05/2017 (AllAfrica.com) - Oil palm giant, Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), has refuted allegation that it is proposing the sale of timber from palm oil concessions. The oil palm giant says its development work in Liberia is in line with national and international laws on the protection of forests and also endangered species; and that the company will engage in any form of commercial logging.
GVL, in a press release, stated that it is developing oil palm in South Eastern Liberia in partnership with local communities, carefully preserving forests, endangered animal and plant species. "Communities' livelihoods are protected thorough land planning and community prosperity is built through local employment, business and skill building," GVL stated.
According to GVL, Oil Palm areas are decided by the local communities through a free informed consent process (FPIC) and following approval by the Liberian EPA based on independent ESIAs and approval under the RSPOs New Planting Procedures. Communities allow GVL into certain areas; reserve other areas for community farming, forests and also for Community Oil Palm and Outgrowers. Oil Palm is developed on non-forested areas only. But these areas can contain some trees also which communities wish to utilize for timber or even for small scale logging before conversion into Oil palm.
Leroy Kanmoh, GVL Communications Coordinator, explained that "some timber is left in non-forested areas by communities. When the community allocated the land for oil palm, this timber was desired by the community to be harvested. It is based on this, the community requested that GVL aid them to ask the FDA if it is possible to extract them before our development. Following almost a year of discussion with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), we advised the community that FDA and SDI had not been able to suggest a legal way to extract and market these logs and so it would not be possible for a permit to be granted."
Liberian Innovation in Sustainability Beyond Legality
GVL is also undertaking innovative sustainable actions including adapting the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Assessment approach to Liberia. The HCS approach is a methodology that distinguishes forest areas for protection from degraded lands with low carbon and biodiversity values that may be developed.
GVL's environmental teams, led by Liberian management, environmentalists and field staff, worked with international organizations, and are today the experts in Liberia on Carbon Stock preservation. "We start from satellite mapping and then proceed to "ground truthing" in the field", says Mr Flomo Molubah, GVL's General Manager for sustainability in Sinoe. "The field work is done with local community elders who know their land, and community youth who learn surveying and GPS satellite locating. This assures that GVL uses the most modern methods and standards of forest preservation," Molubah maintained.
Towards Community Oil Palm, in the case of Tarjuowon community, GVL pays approximately US$1.4 million directly to community members in annual payroll, even though development in Tarjuowon is not yet complete. GVL also pays almost $1 million to the next largest recipient, the Butaw community. These amounts represent mainly wages earned by ordinary community members. Additionally, GVL employs Liberian staff and management in higher skilled positions with a payroll of more than US$2 million annually in the counties.
The next important objective for GVL is to work with communities, the Government of Liberia and funders to begin the Community Oil Palm Outgrower program. The Outgrower farms are owned by the community. If successfully implemented, the outgrower farms and other means of income, such as rubber and vegetable and animal crops, will allow communities preserve larger areas of the forests that they own, while bringing prosperity.
GVL, in a press release, stated that it is developing oil palm in South Eastern Liberia in partnership with local communities, carefully preserving forests, endangered animal and plant species. "Communities' livelihoods are protected thorough land planning and community prosperity is built through local employment, business and skill building," GVL stated.
According to GVL, Oil Palm areas are decided by the local communities through a free informed consent process (FPIC) and following approval by the Liberian EPA based on independent ESIAs and approval under the RSPOs New Planting Procedures. Communities allow GVL into certain areas; reserve other areas for community farming, forests and also for Community Oil Palm and Outgrowers. Oil Palm is developed on non-forested areas only. But these areas can contain some trees also which communities wish to utilize for timber or even for small scale logging before conversion into Oil palm.
Leroy Kanmoh, GVL Communications Coordinator, explained that "some timber is left in non-forested areas by communities. When the community allocated the land for oil palm, this timber was desired by the community to be harvested. It is based on this, the community requested that GVL aid them to ask the FDA if it is possible to extract them before our development. Following almost a year of discussion with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), we advised the community that FDA and SDI had not been able to suggest a legal way to extract and market these logs and so it would not be possible for a permit to be granted."
Liberian Innovation in Sustainability Beyond Legality
GVL is also undertaking innovative sustainable actions including adapting the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Assessment approach to Liberia. The HCS approach is a methodology that distinguishes forest areas for protection from degraded lands with low carbon and biodiversity values that may be developed.
GVL's environmental teams, led by Liberian management, environmentalists and field staff, worked with international organizations, and are today the experts in Liberia on Carbon Stock preservation. "We start from satellite mapping and then proceed to "ground truthing" in the field", says Mr Flomo Molubah, GVL's General Manager for sustainability in Sinoe. "The field work is done with local community elders who know their land, and community youth who learn surveying and GPS satellite locating. This assures that GVL uses the most modern methods and standards of forest preservation," Molubah maintained.
Towards Community Oil Palm, in the case of Tarjuowon community, GVL pays approximately US$1.4 million directly to community members in annual payroll, even though development in Tarjuowon is not yet complete. GVL also pays almost $1 million to the next largest recipient, the Butaw community. These amounts represent mainly wages earned by ordinary community members. Additionally, GVL employs Liberian staff and management in higher skilled positions with a payroll of more than US$2 million annually in the counties.
The next important objective for GVL is to work with communities, the Government of Liberia and funders to begin the Community Oil Palm Outgrower program. The Outgrower farms are owned by the community. If successfully implemented, the outgrower farms and other means of income, such as rubber and vegetable and animal crops, will allow communities preserve larger areas of the forests that they own, while bringing prosperity.