BOPP receives certification as global sustainable palm oil producer

Ghana has the first Oil Palm Plantation Company certified under the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) -- a global, multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable palm oil.


Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) and its scheme smallholders received the certification through RSPO, which will be valid till 2019.

The benefits among others from receiving the certification scheme include access to international markets; reduction on greenhousegas emission; reservation of high conservation areas; and co-existence with communities in and around the business.

To meet the RSPO certification requirement, a company should adequately address eight major principles and criteria.

These include commitment to transparency; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; commitment to long-term economic viability; use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers; environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity; responsible consideration of employees, individuals and communities affected by growers and millers; and above all, commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of activity.

Mr. Samuel Avaala, Estate Manager of BOPP Limited, told B&FT in an interview that the certification will serve as a motivation, as the company is sustainable with international best practice.
He explained that the certification will again afford the company to lead the way for other oil palm producers in the country to strive to attain certification.

“For us, we are able to show other companies in Ghana about our experience since we are the pioneers. We became a beacon in Africa, which made the International community realise the product from Ghana is of high quality standard and attracts premium price at the world market.

“It also shows that people are prepared to pay for more premium for palm oil that is coming from sources that are certified, rather than companies that are yet to meet certification,” Mr. Avaala stated.
“Solidaridad applauds BOPP’s achievement of being the first Ghana Palm oil company certified under the prestigious RSPO.

“As an organisation we are proud to be part of the success story, and wish BOPP well in influencing other oil palm players to seek certification for sustainability and reaching global markets,” said Delle Kpebesaan SWAP regional manager.

BOPP’s smallholders farms, with technical support through training and other resources from Solidaridad’s Sustainable West Africa Palm-oil Programme (SWAPP) and the nucleus estate, made it through the final certification audit exercise of their plant, systems, and fresh fruit bunch-sourcing systems including their smallholder sourcing.

BOPP’s journey towards the stringent and demanding RSPO certification began way back when it was owned by Unilever, as the latter’s sustainable agriculture and minimum mandatory safety and environment practices laid the foundation for a final roadmap to RSPO certification starting in 2011.
Ghana embraced the RSPO in 2009 with the setting up of a National Interpretation Working Group to develop a National Interpretation for the country.

Ghana was the first country in Africa to have its RSPO National Interpretation approved by the RSPO Secretariat.  Since then, major oil palm companies in the country have been working hard toward meeting the RSPO certification requirement. 

BOPP was incorporated in the year 1976 jointly by Unilever PLC and the government as a private company limited by shares to produce Crude Oil in the country. The company was converted into the public limited liability in 2004.

In 2011, Unilever Ghana sold its shares to Asia’s Leading Agribusiness Group -- Wilmar International Limited headquartered in Singapore -- which made BOPP a subsidiary of Wilmar International and specifically, Wilmar Africa.

Currently its annual production is about 17,554 metric tonnes of Crude Palm Oil, of which 12,772 metric tonnes is certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) while the certified sustainable palm kernel (CSPK) is about 3,207 metric tonnes out of a total PK production of 4,406 metric tonnes.

Of a total of 6,799 hectares held by BOPP, the nucleus plantation has 2,969 hectares of mature palms and 1,769 hectares of immature palms, while the scheme smallholder covers some 1,650 hectares of mature palms.

There are 438 natives of surrounding communities participating in the smallholder scheme, of which about 30% are women.

RSPO membership includes growers, millers, NGOs (environmental and social), banks and investors, manufacturers and retailers of oil palm-related products.