Palm Oil

The oil palm tree is native to West Africa. It is an important tree for forest-dependent communities, their cultures and their economies. However, large-scale oil palm monocultures for industrial production (oil and agrofuels) have been driving deforestation and land grabbing in Southeast Asia. More recently, oil palm monocultures are also driving destruction in Africa and Latin America.

Publications 19 February 2020

Communities facing Zero Deforestation pledges: the case of OLAM in Gabon

Download the publication.

Publications 20 September 2019

Report: Communities in Africa fight back against the land grab for palm oil

A new report on the state of industrial oil palm plantations in Africa shows how communities are turning the tide on a massive land grab in the region.

Publications 4 April 2019

Booklet: 12 Tactics Palm Oil Companies Use to Grab Community Land

The booklet “Promise, Divide, Intimidate and Coerce: 12 tactics palm oil companies use to grab community land” aims to support communities who want to strengthen their resistance and better prepare themselves to stop corporations from establishing on their lands.

Publications 27 November 2018

Recueil de recettes nutritives, médicinales, artisanales des palmiers à huile traditionnels

Only available in French.

Other information 15 November 2018

Letter from the Collective of Women affected by monoculture oil palm from Gabon to FAO

Women affected by OLAM’s oil palm plantations, during a meeting in the village of Fera, in Gabon, decided to send a letter to FAO denouncing the impacts they are suffering.

Other information 8 November 2018

Letter from the Collective of Women affected by monoculture oil palm from Gabon to FAO

Other information 13 July 2016

West African women defend traditional palm oil

Publications 30 August 2013

Oil palm in Africa: past, present and future scenarios - 2013 update

Governments are opening the doors to corporations for planting vast areas of land with oil palm plantations. This trend is not only happening in West and Central African countries, but is even expanding to parts of Eastern Africa. Large scale oil palm plantations are already causing serious environmental and social impacts in some countries, resulting in loss of community rights over their territories.