Solidaridad-Liberia inaugurates advisory committee ahead of oil palm intervention program launch

Solidaridad-Liberia has inducted an advisory committee ahead of its oil palm program launch.

According to J. Cyrus Saybe Sr., Oil Palm Program Manager at Solidaridad Liberia, the introduction of the Sustainable West Africa Oil Palm Programme (SWAPP) in Liberia is to scale up successful innovations from previous SWAPP program in Ghana and Ivory Coast.
“The objective is to scale-up those successful innovations that took place under SWAPP1 in Ghana and Ivory Coast. This is because there were a lot of success stories and lessons learned,” says Seybe Sr.

He says the committee role in guaranteeing that similar success is achieved in Liberia is to ensure that the program activities align with national strategy, provide direction for program implementation at the national level, and provide insights to the program implementing team with regard to stakeholders, technical advice.

He further that the committee will assist in resolving issues and risks and advises implementing partners on new directions, new donor funding opportunities, and approaches.

The committee membership comprises of representatives from both private and public institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOC), President Delivery Unit (PDU), Aid Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance Planning and Development (MFPD).

The Oil Palm Sector Technical Working Group (OPSTWG), the Good Growth Partnership (GGP) and private banking institutions which were not disclosed are other members of the committee.

SWAPP program aims at improving incomes and livelihoods from oil palm through increasing farm productivity and efficiency of processing mills.
A document from Solidaridad-Liberia states that strategy under SWAPP is centered on the introduction of smallholder farmers to best management practices through the establishment of demonstration farms for training purposes and investment in nurseries to facilitate access to improved planting materials.

The document states that Solidaridad will introduce small-scale processing mills to improve milling practices especially in counties that do not have large scale processing mills.
The skills of youth will be developed through technical, vocational and entrepreneurship training to take advantage of employment opportunities in the sector.
Adoption of sustainability standards to lessen the environmental impact of project activities will be promoted through support for Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) national interpretation process and the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) 2020 Action Plan for Liberia, the document states.