- In 2021, GSWL invested $1,169,145 into GSOPP expansion for new farmlands, signing on new participants and supporting fledging farms. Life to date, GSWL has directed over US$9.6 million to the GSOPP programme. This investment enables GSOPP to tap into Industry-leading practice in alternative livelihoods.    - Annually, GSOPP directly employs 806 contract workers and smallholder farmers across 10 communities. Averagely, each employee has five dependents, meaning on an annual basis, GSOPP benefit 4,836 people (employees and dependents) in our catchment communities directly.    - Participating farmers gain agronomic knowledge, training and technology transfer.    - Capacity training, including banking (100% of GSOPP farmers have bank accounts), savings, pension planning, health and security.    - Access to Credit using the cooperative approach. The majority of small-scale farmers in Ghana, the mainstay of the agriculture industry, operate on the fringes of the economy. They lack access to financial institutions to expand or even develop their businesses. In a downgrading economic context, where interest rates presently exceed 30%, means even where funds are available, most farmers could not fund loan repayments. GSOPP provides interest free loans to its farmers, avoiding issues associated with access to capital and initial operating expenditures. Loans repayment commences when yields reach nominated levels of maturity, to ensure that farmers have sufficient revenue to maintain an appropriate standard of living.    - On average, traditional councils receive US$56,119 every year as landowners of GSOPP.   - In 2021, the minimum wage in Ghana was GH¢4,059 per annum. GSOPP farmers with high- yielding palms, under good plantation management practices, earned GH¢30,261 per annum (7.45 times the minimum wage for small holders).    - GSOPP has enrolled about 98% of farmers and farm workers onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana, where farmers can have access to healthcare.

- GSOPP programme has resulted in the conversion of 107 hectares from formerly mined lands to commercial oil palm plantations under a sequential land use system.    - Another 125 hectares of the plantation were cultivated on disturbed lands (galamsey), restoring them for agricultural use.    - Biomass from palms plants continue to improve soil fertility.    - Where plantation is to be cultivated over existing farms, oil palm is established within the existing farms to not displace food crops. As food crops are harvested, the oil palm is extended into these areas, and farmers gradually convert to the new cropping regime. This process avoids displacement, and enables farmers to integrate into the plantation concept at a manageable rate.

- SDG 1 No poverty: GSOPP reduces poverty and promotes wealth through sustainable agri – business. This is done in partnership with traditional authorities, affected farmers, and the agroforestry industry to support the development of oil palm plantations in GSWL host communities using the smallholder concept. 

 

- SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: At GSOPP, only seedlings of proven varieties are used and not wild harvested seedlings. Varieties are selected on a site-by-site basis on the assessment of climatic and soil conditions. In addition to the specialist technical agronomic advice of the GSOPP team, farmers also benefit from extension support provided by Wilmar BOPP and Solidaridad West Africa. 

 

- SDG 12 Responsible production and consumption: Transport to Market. In Ghana, some plantations are established without good road support networks. As the main fruit production season coincides with high rain, this has resulted in cases where fruit is not collected, and rots, leading to loss of income to farmers. At GSOPP, road maintenance forms an integral part of the plantation maintenance cycle, ensuring access for fruit collection and sales. 

 

- SDG 12 Responsible production and consumption: Leading Practice and Industry Standards. GSOPP applies Best Management Practices (BMP) for its oil palm operations. Farmers Tenancy Agreements require application of these standards. As a result, the GSOPP smallholder plantations now achieve 18 mt/ha, three times the Ghanaian average and on par with world average production for plantations. Most importantly, this translates to better returns for farmers, and demonstrates the attractiveness of oil palm as a livelihood. Finally, the adherence to these best practices contributed greatly to GSOPP’s certification by the RSPO. 

 

- SDG 17. Partnership for the goals: International Development Support. GSOPP has the ongoing support of Royal Gold, Wilmar BOPP organization, Southampton University and two major international development agencies, Solidaridad West Africa and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Royal Gold in consideration of the long-standing relationship with the Wassa mine, in 2021 committed to provide financial support for the activities of GSOPP through an annual contribution of US$150,000 for five years. Wilmar BOPP and Solidaridad provide agricultural extension support to GSOPP and participant farmers, including agricultural extension trials, demonstration plots, as well as soil and crop nutrient content testing. GIZ, using a major baseline study and poverty impact assessment for GSOPP, further supports with farmer business schools that provide training on savings, pension planning and other financial management skills development. All GSOPP participant farmers have bank accounts where their salaries and other payments are made. Southampton University provides periodic carbon dioxide removal monitoring through ongoing studies on our tailings facilities including those that have oil palm cultivated on them.

GSOPP has developed a unique approach to land acquisition. Through extensive community engagement and consultations, GSOPP solicits lands from local chiefs, and/or landlords who offer their lands and in return benefit directly from the oil palm cultivation. This is a form of partnership arrangement, which promotes more productive use of the land, resulting in long term employment and income generation in the catchment. Farmer selection is based on impact and resident status within the host community.    Tenancy agreements established with the farmers incorporate loan re-payment and obligations for maintenance, harvesting and sale of farm proceeds minimizing conflicts that traditionally arise from changing expectations.    With this concept of partnership, the major issues confronting land tenure associated with large-scale agricultural developments are to a greater extent minimized. Additionally, as the plantations are supervised by GSOPP, all parties benefit from higher yields, resulting in ongoing support for the use of the land for this purpose. e).

Even though mining companies have shown that they can revegetate formerly mined lands, few have shown that these land uses can be sustained. Areas reclaimed to plantation forest are frequently felled for firewood or charcoal, those reclaimed to secondary forest are prone to illegal mining incursions or are clear felled for farmlands.    Only GSOPP has demonstrated true sustainability. As a high value cash crop, managed for commercial scale production and yield, the revenues are significant, benefitting farmers, workers and traditional landowners alike, thus limiting incursion from low value or unstainable land uses.    The introduction of GSOPP as the next land use in former tailings storage facilities expands this significance, by demonstrating that post-mining land uses need not be unsustainable – post-mining land uses can sustain livelihoods. At present, 107 hectares have been developed on former mined lands.

Most mining companies compensate and secure large tracts of land around their mining areas to prohibit conflicting land uses in these areas. This often leads to large areas of land that are disused and potentially poorly managed. A natural tension arises between the host community who want land for farming, and the mining company that cannot risk intrusion into these areas for risk of speculation, future compensation and risk.    The introduction of GSOPP as a multiple land use in such buffer areas ensures high value use of the land, community participation in the management of this land, provides an additional source of revenue for landowners and most importantly, provides an opportunity for employment for host communities. At present, 250 hectares have been developed on mine buffer lands.

GSWL complies with all mining and mining related laws of Ghana. This approach is extended to the governance of GSOPP through policies that provide a framework for its operations. GSOPP’s adherence to these policies contributed to the certification it received from RSPO in May 2022. Some of the policies governing GSOPP include;   

o Prevention of Child and Forced Labour 

  This Policy reflects GSOPP's commitment to the protection of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms through GSOPP's Policies.    Child labour or forced labour will not be tolerated and is unconditionally prohibited and condemned by GSOPP.   

o Anti-Harassment Policy 

  GSOPP is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and rewarding work environment for all. Implicit in this commitment is that our workplaces will be free from discrimination and harassment of any type with zero tolerance to any deviations.   

o Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity 

  Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) is committed to promoting equality in the workplace by providing equal opportunities for all people to contribute to their fullest potential.   

o Human Rights 

  This Policy reflects GSOPP's commitment to the protection of Human Rights, fundamental freedoms and Human Rights Violations will not be tolerated. GSOPP supports and respects the protection of International Human Rights, within its sphere of influence and is committed to.   

o Grievance 

  GSOPP is committed to being a part of the community in which it operates and will achieve this by maintaining and building strong relationships with other members of the community, through engagement that is based on mutual respect and recognition of each other's rights.    An integral component of this engagement is the provision of avenues for stakeholders to raise grievances and the systems to protect, respect and remedy impacts.   

o Safety, Health and Wellbeing 

  Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations (GSOPP) values and is committed to safety and employee's wellbeing. We believe job related injuries and illness is unacceptable.   

o Environment 

  Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) is committed to meeting or surpassing regulatory requirements in all of its plantation development while safeguarding the local environment for our stakeholder communities and future generations.   

o Riparian Zone Management Policy 

  This policy is to protect and safeguard all riparian zones in proximity to GSOPP's proposed and existing operational areas, through the establishment of buffers and other management controls with the intent of maintaining and enhancing the natural and human services functions of the riparian zones for the ecosystem.   GSOPP is committed to meeting or surpassing regulatory requirements in all of its development and operating activities while safeguarding the local environment for our stakeholder communities and future generations.  

o Prevention of Open Burning Policy 

  This policy is to ensure that open burning does not occur in the GSOPP operational areas and that GSOPP activities do not entail or lead to open burning of any form.    Additionally, the policy provides a platform for GSOPP to take a leadership position in educating persons involved in GSOPP on the environmental, health and safety impacts and risks of open burning in order to influence the behaviour of our stakeholders in a wider context.    Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) is committed to safety and wellbeing of our workforce, safeguarding the local environment for our stakeholder communities and future generations and supporting the achievement of the Paris Accord goals.   

o Protection of High Conservation Values 

  This policy further applies to all GSOPP employees, contractors, smallholders, and other persons visiting or accessing GSOPP operational areas as well as to GSOPP activities from plantation development through to plantation closure.    GSOPP is committed to meeting or surpassing regulatory requirements in all of its development and operating activities while safeguarding the local environment for our stakeholder communities and future generations. Integral to this commitment is the identification and designation of high conservation value (HCV) areas, to protect and maintain their ecological integrity as well as services that they provide to local communities.   

o Fresh Fruit Bunch Pricing 

  Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations (GSOPP) respects the rights of smallholder farmers to obtain fair and competitive prices for the sale of their fresh fruit bunches (FFB) to GSOPP's buyers.  

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"