Palm
The palm tree is native to Africa, grows here in abundance and is embedded in the landscape with other crops. The original tree, the Dura, is largely replaced by the dwarf palm Tenera, which provides more palm oil, from the fruits and seeds, and is easier to harvest, similar to our high-stem and low-stem fruit trees. On the 7,000 hectare plantations and many small farmers who live and work around the plantations, the Dura variants, which are processed separately at the oil mill, are also still growing.
Gold Tree ensures the sustainability and organic certification of plantations and smaller farmers, biodiversity, and increases farmers' sales for the local market and export, with farmers benefiting from harvesting and trading through a higher premium than just the local market.
An additional advantage is the much shorter route that palm oil takes from Africa to Europe, compared to long transport routes from Asia and South America.
Bio palm plantations
According to DID-IT, a complete redefinition of a palm plantation is necessary. Instead of extreme monoculture with a high use of fertilizers and herbicides, integration with animal husbandry is needed to overcome both elements.
The appropriate element to add for Sierra Leone could be the introduction of chickens. Both manure and foraging on insects and nitrogen-binding undergrowth would make a very positive contribution. The remaining palm kernel cake is suitable for food.
For both smaller farmers and plantations, the spread of income to meat from cocks and laid hens, and eggs in addition to palm, is also a welcome addition. For the specific conditions of climate and available feed, cooperation is being sought with poultry organizations. Together with Planting Naturals, Did-IT will take up the project as soon as possible.
The aim is for the population to be self-sufficient as possible.
This includes chickens, but also agricultural projects for rice cultivation and other tropical crops.
Food and palm oil
Palm oil is an indispensable ingredient in the food industry, common and organic. But palm oil is rightly criticized by deforestation and other bad practices such as working conditions in conventional palm oil extraction.
Where vegetable fats are mentioned as an ingredient, this will often be palm oil in margarines, sandwiches (chocolate spread), cookies and other foods.
Palm-free is not an option, the hard fraction can be replaced by other hard fats but they can cause the same problems, or by hardening liquid fats, hydrogenation, which can cause unwanted trans fats.
The agriculture of palm trees for oil is even necessary to meet the world's population's fat needs. The commonly used palm oil substitute shea oil is far from being able to replace a substantial part of palm oil use, is not cultivation but game gathering and is therefore a source of labor problems and is also chemically processed to replace the hard part of palm.
Organic palm oil
For DID-IT, the only solution is to use organic palm oil.
Deforestation is prohibited in the organic standard; non-organic plantations are being converted.
No artificial fertilizers or pesticides or other chemicals may be used.
The palm oil is fully traceable and can therefore be guaranteed.
We work with biodiversity and nitrogen-fixing plants.
Palm oil is available from companies that are affiliated with RSPO IP (RoundTable of Sustainable Palm Oil); this oil is traceable but not organic.
For more information:
www.plantingnaturals.com
www.diditorganic.nl