Green Ologbo : an integrated project for sustainable development of oil palm plantation

Presco Plc, a member of the Siat group, is a company operating in Nigeria producing and processing oil palm for the domestic market. The company decided to extend its plantation and implement a sustainable project, the "Green Ologbo" project, promoting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services as well as enhancing local development and social well-being. The project is carried out in collaboration with Cirad (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development), with support from many other stakeholders. This paper aims at sharing experience gained on this project about oil palm extension and minimization of environmental and social negative impacts. A first step, in addition to investigations about agricultural capacity, was to conduct environmental and social impact assessment, with emphasis on high conservation value (HCV) areas identification. Results of these studies were integrated into planning, with the production of a land use map of the concession, integrating conservation areas into the oil palm plantation and the development of a conservation action plan. An active protection policy was implemented to combat the threats to the conservation areas. In addition, an environmental and conservation awareness/education programme has been initiated among surrounding communities so as to strengthen the protection efforts. Besides this, the company is progressively supporting local development of these communities through employment, social actions and development of an outgrowers scheme, in order to enhance positive social impacts of the new development of Presco and to reduce pressure on the protected area by providing alternative economic activities. With a view to guiding the action, ecological and socio-economic monitoring has also been initiated to assess the impacts of the Ologbo project both on the human and natural environment and to measure progress made. Although this project is so far quite an achievement, some difficulties were faced and questions raised, mainly linked to biodiversity and social issues. This specific field case has shown that oil palm growers, in coordinated efforts with all interested stakeholders can, and definitely have to be actors of conservation. But it also reminds us of the complexity and sensitivity of integrating social issues as the key to success for sustainable development. Indeed, it is not easy to change our mindset in order to move from a "sustainable production" approach to the sustainable management of a complex agro-socio-ecosystem. (Résumé d'auteur)