Olam wins sustainable palm oil certification in Gabon

Its Makouke plantation is the fourth to receive an RPSO certification.

Olam International received a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RPSO) certification for all of its palm plantations in Gabon by 2021, according to a press release.

Its Makouke plantation, jointly managed by Olam Palm Gabon (OPG) and the Republic of Gabon, was the latest to bag such certification. Established in the 1960s and acquired by OPG in 2016, the 18,707 ha plantation is the fourth Olam plantation to become RPSO certified, bringing its total RPSO certified area to 112,455 ha.

Majority of the plantation has been replanted with high-yielding varieties and High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments were conducted for an undeveloped 5,488 ha within the plantation.

OPG manages an overall concession area of 144,000 ha, with over 50% (72,000 ha) of HCV forests, wetlands and savannah.

Olam is the largest certified producer in Africa with a production capacity of 92,000 MT of certified sustainable palm oil (CPSO), 16,866 certified sustainable palm kernel (CPSK), and 6,500 MT certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO). It was recently recognised at the 2019 RSPO Excellence Awards for establishing sustainable palm oil plantations and conservation and emission reduction in Gabon.