Mighty Earth and Olam Joint Statement Following Visit to Gabon

Mighty Earth and Olam International conducted a series of meetings and site visits in Gabon to evaluate the social and environmental impacts of large-scale plantation agriculture. While acknowledging Olam's job creation and conservation efforts, the visit highlighted ongoing tensions regarding biodiversity, climate impacts, and local community access to essential services and water.

• Mighty Earth observed that Olam has created employment and implemented measures to protect designated conservation areas and address community concerns in Mouila, though the organization questioned if large-scale plantation agriculture is a suitable model for biodiverse, carbon-rich ecosystems.
• Gabonese government officials emphasized the necessity of diversifying the national economy away from fossil fuels and oil dependency, positioning agriculture as a primary component of Gabon's National Strategic Plan.
• Local NGOs expressed conflicting views on plantation agriculture, supporting its social development benefits while raising strong reservations regarding its impact on climate, biodiversity, and human rights.
• In Ngounie Province, Olam established a 14,000 ha savannah plantation based on zero-deforestation and the first High Conservation Value savannah ecosystem mosaic under RSPO management, which contributed to the groundwork for a new National Park.
• Village meetings revealed that while residents welcomed investment and jobs, they reported critical needs for healthcare, schooling, and clean water, specifically citing concerns that plantations impact natural streams and lakes used for drinking water during the dry season.

APA

Mighty Earth (2017). Mighty Earth and Olam Joint Statement Following Visit to Gabon. https://mightyearth.org/article/50791-2/

Chicago

Mighty Earth. Mighty Earth and Olam Joint Statement Following Visit to Gabon. 2017. https://mightyearth.org/article/50791-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Mighty Earth |title=Mighty Earth and Olam Joint Statement Following Visit to Gabon |date=24 July 2017 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/50791-2/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mightyearth2017mighty, author = {{Mighty Earth}}, title = {{Mighty Earth and Olam Joint Statement Following Visit to Gabon}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/50791-2/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }