A common misconception about foreign farming is that modern methods are by definition abusive to the environment and old methods were typically less harmful. Yet quite often the reverse is true.

Preparing for Palm Plantation

Farming practice in Guinea illustrates this point and educates why such a small percentage of its arable land is in production today.

Typical sights in an annual farming year are of men and women preparing the ground for planting of groundnuts, ploughing with oxen, tending the crops and harvesting by hand. They use no sprays, burn no fossil fuels and they do not fertilize with chemicals.

“What could be more natural?”

The fact is....The repeated ploughing at the same depth is actually forming an impermeable pan and the groundnuts are inevitably chewing up any good nutrients left in the ground.

When harvesting begins in the dry season the soil is again turned over and left exposed to the relentless heat and sun. It dries out and micro biotic activity is dramatically reduced. This practice is therefore not sustainable to the land and then is abandoned to lie fallow for up to ten years during which it reverts to bush and weed.

Modern practice is to direct drill crops in rotation, to fertilize so that the ground is not depleted and to leave any unused crop or detritus covering to form a mulch which will protect the soil from sun and heat and leave it nutrient rich ready for planting the following year.

Peak Palm Oil PLC proposes to plant soya beans and maize in rotation along-side its main focus of palm oil. The beans fix nitrogen and produce a multi-use oleaginous crop whilst the maize detritus is voluminous and leaves generous mulch which proves a cradle to cradle environment.

Our Goals

Peak Palm Oil PLC operates an environmental management plan across its operations and is dedicated to changing the negative outlook on Oil Palm.

Our responsibility is to ensure...

• That projects maintain an area for wildlife which are integrated into the design
• That water quality is an integral part of our project and ensure we promote better health of the wider environment
• That land to be cleared typically comprises of low-density scrubland or former arable land, which has reverted to bush
• That no rain forests or forests in general will be cleared
• That crop development is based, wherever possible, on minimum-till and no-till technology (“No-till minimizes use of water, saves on fuel consumption and retains natural soil nutrients, which in turn increase yields and minimize carbon emissions “)
• That preparing, plantings and operations are planned to ensure minimal disruption to the environment
• That we are in 100% compliance with Government regulations on use of GM (genetically modified) seeds