An international civil society organisation operating under the aegis of Solidaridad, has charged oil palm plantation owners to cultivate their palm plantations without cutting down trees or depleting the forest.
The CSO which is known for facilitating development of socially responsible, ecologically sound and profitable supply chains urged small holder farmers to cultivate their palm oil farms without indiscriminate destruction of biodiversity.
Programme manager for Solidaridad, Mr. Kenne Onwudibe, made the remarks during an interactive session with LEADERSHIP yesterday in Calabar.
Speaking shortly after brainstorming with stakeholders in the palm oil sector including small holders farmers, the programme manager said, “We want all those who intend to or are practicing oil palm production whether at farm level or mill level to be able to understand the meaning of deforestation free palm oil.
“Don’t allow oil Palm tree that you produce to be track or trace to any form of deforestation.
We want to be sure that our practices promote the inclusion of smallholder farmers and the improvement of their livelihoods.
“The message to oil Palm producers is to ensure that their efforts create three things which includes; increase land use.
“Inclusion of small holder farmers so that they can be able to have better income, have their voices heard so that they can be able to have access to better market”, he maintained.
In his remarks, senior programme manager of the National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate -Smart Oil-palm Smallholders (IDH NISCOPS), Mr.Ogwu Dayo, said NISCOPS participated in the stakeholders’ meeting to facilitate sustainable market trade and ensure that trade is possible.
“At the national level, we are convening with relevant stakeholders. Also, at the state level, through this forum, we also have the national and state MDAs. We brought them together to brainstorm on socio-environmental and climate issues, ” he stated.
Dayo stated that palm oil trees can co-habit with the forest without necessarily cutting down trees that made the forest.
” What NISCOPS is telling them is that oil palms and forest can still co-exist. That is why we are preaching about climate matters and conservation.
“Our message is that, If you want to go into oil palm plantation and production, don’t forget that the forest also needs to be protected.
“Don’t go cutting down trees without thinking of regeneration.
“In case you want to expand, ensure that you have a geo- location or geo- map of where you want to plant.
“Is not because you want to cultivate oil palm plantation you begin to indiscriminately cut down trees, know that this programme is all about protection of the forest,” he stated.
Dayo charged palm oil farmers to make use of best management practices to increase their yields, stressing that the stakeholders meeting, which comprises relevant stakeholders in the oil palm production industry, was to brainstorm on socio-environmental and climate issues.
