Protecting Local Wisdom within Indigenous Palm Oil Communities in Nigeria

Nigeria

In the heart of Ondo State, Nigeria, Janet Olufunmise rises before dawn to begin her day in the palm oil groves. Like generations of women before her, Janet meticulously harvests oil palm fruit, using techniques passed down through her community. These methods, rooted in centuries of Indigenous “local wisdom,” are crucial to her livelihood and that of many women in her village. Despite the challenges posed by traditional extraction methods, Janet and women like her demonstrate remarkable resilience, relying on their craft to sustain their families.

Recognising the value of this 'local wisdom', Olam Agri has stepped in to protect it while improving women’s livelihoods across Nigeria’s palm oil value chain while prioritising environmental sustainability and safety. Through its refinery, Ruyat Oil, located in Lagos City, Olam Agri has developed its processes to accept and efficiently process crude palm oil (CPO) with free fatty acids (FFA) levels of more than 5%—a quality many other refineries avoid as they are unable to process. As per industry standards, most refineries don’t accept CPO with FFA higher than 5%. This adaptation allows Olam Agri to continue supporting Indigenous communities and preserves the traditional, non-mechanised palm oil extraction methods at the heart of these communities.

Olam Agri’s refinery, which began with a capacity of 100 metric tons (MT) per day and has since expanded to 200 MT/day, plays a crucial role in improving the livelihoods of local women aggregators and Indigenous groups. We believe that supporting these groups, can create a more sustainable and engaged community.
 

Nigeria, home to over 2.5 million hectares of wild and semi-wild palm groves, is where Indigenous women like Janet work in mixed forests, where palm trees grow alongside other crops such as cocoa. Traditional palm oil extraction is more than just a trade for these women—it’s a heritage they safeguard for future generations. Olam Agri empowers these women by purchasing their CPO at fair prices, ensuring timely transactions, and providing training to improve their extraction processes.

Community-based Artisanal Mill – Bagbe Village, Ondo State

In villages like Bagbe, also in Ondo State, community-based artisanal mills serve as the backbone of local economies. Here, around 50 women manage the shared extraction facility, gathering fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from surrounding forests and manually processing them into palm oil. This community-driven effort not only preserves their cultural practices but also creates a source of income for these women entrepreneurs. However, with limited resources and manual processes, high FFA content in the oil often leads to lower market prices.

To address these challenges, Olam Agri provides crucial training to local farmers, teaching them how to minimise waste, reduce moisture, prevent contamination during extraction, and protect resources that are fundamental to the local community (HCV-5). The training helps farmers like Janet improve the quality of their CPO and maintain the integrity of their Indigenous practices. Olam Agri is also exploring partnerships with social enterprises to introduce semi-mechanised processes that will increase oil recovery rates and improve overall quality while preserving the community’s traditions.