Empowering Small-scale Producers for Sustainable Palm Oil Value Chain.

The palm oil sector is chosen by the government of Ghana as one of the pillars for economic development in the country. The sector is dominated by small-scale producers who cultivate about eighty percent (80%) of the estimated total land area of 330,000 hectares under oil palm cultivation. Despite the dominance of the small-scale sector, it is the most challenged with smallholder farmers usually found within the lower asset group in rural communities. Research has shown that farmer-based organizations or cooperatives can help small-scale farmers to overcome their production and marketing constraints that hinder the improvements in their livelihoods. Despite the efforts and investments into forming and strengthening FBOs, the Adansi North district is challenged with weak farmer-based organizations. However, studies to show the causes of this trend is limited. The objective of this research was to assess and identify the challenges of small-scale palm oil processors' organizations and to come up with recommendations for improvement.