In 2016, Mighty Earth filed a Policy for Association complaint against Olam International alleging involvement in the significant conversion of forests in Gabon including destruction of High Conservation Values for palm oil developments in Gabon.
Instead of proceeding with a formal Policy for Association investigation, FSC, Mighty Earth and Olam entered into an alternative dispute resolution process, enabling the dialogue between the parties, aiming to address the issues raised in the complaint, through constructive dialogue and mediation.
On 31 Jan 2017 Mighty and Olam took part in a mediation, aiming to find an agreement on the recommendations and concerns highlighted by Mighty in its campaign. This mediation process was facilitated by World Resources Institute (WRI). The outcome of this mediation process was an agreement which was signed by both parties. Both parties also published a joint statement communicating about the matter.
On 17 January 2018 Mighty and Olam took part in a second mediation (with similar scope and objectives as the mediation conducted in 2017) again facilitated by WRI. The outcomes of this second mediation process also resulted in an agreement signed by both parties and published as a joint statement.
During the course of these two mediation processes, Mighty visited Gabon twice to visit Olam’s plantations, interact with a wide range of stakeholders, and participate in dialogues on deforestation, High Carbon Stocks, and sustainable agricultures. Olam has maintained a moratorium on any forest or tree cover land clearance since January 2017, and in 2019 extended this for a further three years.
As a subsequent step in this alternative dispute resolution process following the two mediation exercises - and in order to fully address Olam’s adherence to the FSC Policy for Association - FSC is conducting a retrospective assessment of Olam’s oil palm operations in Gabon in relation to the alleged significant forest conversion and destruction of High Conservation Values (HCVs) using a technical expert panel.
Olam’s Oil Palm developments in Gabon began in 2011 under a policy commitment of compliance with the certification requirements of the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a full member of the ISEAL Alliance of sustainability standards; Olam contests Mighty Earth’s allegations. To date, Olam has received RSPO certification for four of its Gabon palm estates representing 112,455 ha (planted and conservation areas) and has stated its aim for 100% certified palm by 2021.