One of the poorest nations on earth, Liberia has made palm oil a key part of its campaign to create jobs and reduce poverty. The head of the country’s National Investment Commission says the palm oil sector could bring employment to up to 100,000 Liberians, says the Guardian, but “there was little consideration in this process of those who lived on the land or had the right to it.”
Liberia “is a new frontier for the ubiquitous red oil, an ingredient central to a plethora of consumer goods, including cosmetics, soap and the cooking oil itself,” says the Guardian. Some 3,700 Liberians work for Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), which is establishing the largest palm plantation in the country, from a concession of 220,000 hectares. Golden Agri-Resources, of Singapore, one of the largest palm oil companies in the world, is the major investor in GVL.
The government says it has learned its lesson about including local communities when development projects are decided. GVL faced early opposition to its project and has begun to negotiate with local leaders. Some activists doubt the value of the palm oil project and say residents can earn a higher income from subsistence farming, hunting and selling charcoal. Some want GVL to leave. A land rights bill has been introduced in the legislature, but action on it may be overtaken by presidential and legislative elections in 2017.