Tackling palm oil’s challenges in west Africa

Victor Tamanjong, assistant technical manager for Africa at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, outlines the history of the palm oil sector in Africa, and the more recent growth of certified crop. He discusses how to engage smallholder farmers with the benefits of certification and adopting a more sustainable approach in general – including market access, training, increased yields and farm income. As in many palm oil growing regions, land tenure is a major challenge – but an approach that respects local land-holding customs is proving to be successful. With Ian Welsh.