Olam Palm Gabon – a joint venture with the government of Gabon – is part of our plan to support the development of the agricultural economy – to broad-base the Gabon economy, reduce food imports, create employment opportunities and tackle poverty in the country.

In 2022, OPG delivered a net volume of over 100,000 tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO). We have established reliable and regular trade flows with EU customers through annual supply agreements as proposed EU legislation is seeing demand strengthening for traceable supplies that do not contribute to deforestation, and deepened vessel chartering capabilities to support increasing volumes of CPO exports.

Sustainable Palm Oil

We’re committed to sustainable palm oil production. In 2022 we achieved RSPO certification for all of our concessions, becoming the largest fully certified company in Africa. We protect about 106,000 ha of natural ecosystems which are third-party recognised as High Conservation Value (HCV), representing one third of the total surface protected by RSPO players, making OPG the largest conservation contributor in the palm sector worldwide. A biodiversity action plan put in place in 2022 will further monitor wildlife and produce scientific evidence of the positive role played by OPG in preserving biodiversity in the forests of Gabon.

Water Conservation & Management

The business has implemented the largest irrigation project in a palm plantation in the world. The sub-surface drip irrigation system will improve irrigation of 23,089 ha of planted land. By introducing mechanical spraying, we have improved productivity eight-fold. Both productivity and efficiency are being improved by the construction and repair of 1,700 km of roads which helps efficient crop transportation.

Palm Processing

Olam Palm Gabon operates two palm oil mills and one palm kernel crushing plant, sourcing 99.99% fresh fruit bunches from our own plantations as well as one edible oil refinery, where we refine crude palm oil to produce cooking oil sold in consumer packs directly to service the local Gabonese market.

A third palm oil mill has been commissioned, which will increase processing capacity to meet the future increase in yields. Supply chain facilities are being enhanced to offer fully segregated as well as identity preserved palm products.

Protecting Gabon's Biodiversity

Managing palm plantations in a biodiversity rich country like Gabon requires extensive efforts to support and safeguard the country’s natural heritage. Olam Palm Gabon (OGP) employs a 100-strong team dedicated to enforcing rigorous standards designed to protect the areas of High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) that make up 50% of our palm concessions.