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The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has reinforced its commitment to sustainable community development with the launch of ECOPALMS GH, a dedicated oil palm nursery designed to sustain the Community Oil Palm Project (COPP) and strengthen the region's agricultural value chain.
The journey began in 2005 when the Foundation introduced the Sustainable Community Empowerment and Economic Development (SEED) programme to create income-generating opportunities, with agriculture as a cornerstone. Oil palm quickly emerged as a vital pillar, providing households around the Tarkwa and Damang mines with a reliable source of livelihood.
By 2022, declining productivity in aging farms and rising community demand prompted the launch of COPP. The initiative set out to empower at least 500 community members and cultivate 540 hectares of oil palm within five years. Since then, over 60,000 certified seedlings have been distributed to farmers, thanks to partnerships with the CSIR–Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) in Kade and other nurseries.
However, logistical challenges—including long distances, high transport costs and delays—made reliance on external nurseries unsustainable. To address this, the Foundation, in collaboration with CSIR–OPRI and Ghana Sumatra Limited, launched ECOPALMS GH to produce certified Tenera oil palm seedlings tailored for farmers.
In its first year, ECOPALMS GH raised 24,000 seedlings and created jobs for 18 community members—83% of them women—underscoring the Foundation's commitment to inclusive growth. With an investment of US$17,000, the Foundation has also guaranteed sustainability by committing to purchase seedlings from ECOPALMS GH for three consecutive years, securing a reliable market for the business.
Support from the Business Resource Centre (BRC) of Tarkwa Nsuaem and partnerships with Promprom Credit Union are further strengthening ECOPALMS GH through entrepreneurship training, business planning, market access and financial support.
With its focus on sustainability, job creation, and local value chain integration, ECOPALMS GH is poised to become a key driver of the oil palm industry in the region, ensuring that the Foundation's vision of community empowerment continues to flourish.
