Solidaridad commits to improving working conditions in oil palm value chain

Mr Andre de Freitas, the Executive Director of Solidaridad Network, says the organisation's support in the oil palm value chain is a commitment towards improving the working conditions of workers in the sector.He said it was also to promote climate-smart practices that reduce emissions and create jobs for the people.Mr Freitas said this when he interacted with two beneficiaries of the National Initiatives for Sustainable Climate-smart Oil Palm Smallholders Programme (NISCOPS) and Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme (SWAPP) in Kade in the Eastern Region.The working visit was to witness firsthand Solidaridad West Africa official's work in the palm value chain in Ghana.He was joined by Heske Verburg, Solidaridad's Europe Manager, Mr Isaac Kwadwo Gyamfi, Regional Director, Solidaridad West Africa together with other Staff.Solidaridad West Africa's oil palm programmes in Ghana had, over the years, promoted competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusivity in the supply chain, improving the liveliho ods of farmers, processors, and workers.Under the National Initiatives for Sustainable Climate-smart Oil Palm Smallholders, Solidaridad developed an innovative solution to improve small-scale palm oil processing.The innovation addresses energy efficiency challenges, waste management, and product quality.With match funding from the United Nations Development Programme, pilots of the innovation have been set up at Joe Farms and Processing and K.A Allelujah, two small-scale processing enterprises in Kade in the Eastern Region.Joe Farms and Processing Enterprise offers tolling services to more than 30 women, who bring oil palm fruits to the processing centre for oil production.The use of traditional methods involves crude equipment, unhealthy practices, and poor waste management, resulting in low-quality oil, health issues, low incomes, and environmental challenges.The innovation has enhanced both the quantity and quality of oil produced, improved working conditions by reducing smoke, and better was te management practices, significantly reducing methane emissions.Mr Yaw Awusi Antwi, the Owner of Joe Farms, in an interview with GNA commended the Management of Solidaridad for their continuous support in improving the activities in the oil palm value chain.He said the mill upgrade had significantly improved the palm oil production process and had not only improved the quantity of oil produced but also addressed energy efficiency challenges, waste management, and product quality.The Executive Director also interacted with the Management of Agro Quorum Enterprise, a Rural Service Centre in the Eastern region, established with support from Solidaridad under the Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme (SWAPP).Mr Godfred Obeng Amoakoh, the Owner of Agro Quorum said since his outfit began providing farm management services, farmers had been recording a significant increase in their yields.He also expressed his intention to expand these services to reach more farmers soon.The company currently prov ides services to over 9,000 smallholder oil palm farmers.NISCOPS is funded by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.SWAPP was jointly funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana and the Swiss government through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.Source: Ghana News Agency