The Government of Liberia (GoL) has identified oil palm as one of the priority crops to spur agricultural growth and development under Pillar II of the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) 2018 – 2023. Prior to the civil war, oil palm plantations were solely owned by the GoL. They were also owned communally with aid from the GoL and managed by cooperatives or held under trusteeship by managing communities. The situation has now changed, and production of oil palm is done by medium1 and smallholders as well as concessionaires. Oil palm is the most widely grown tree crop in Liberia by about 21% of households2 which accounts for approximately one tenth of employment in the agricultural sector.

Despite the economic benefits associated with oil palm development, its cultivation can lead to environmental degradation risks, inequalities in ownership of resources and sharing of benefits, land conflicts, poor labor conditions, and loss of biodiversity. This has led to the sector facing significant criticism over unsustainable production practices and unequal benefit sharing. Various challenges and opportunities for sustainable oil palm production have been identified through the NOPSAP to produce e a framework to guide sustainable oil palm production in Liberia.

The National Oil Palm Strategy and Action Plan and Action Plan (NOPSAP) is the result of the efforts of a wide range of stakeholders in the oil palm value chain. The NOPSAP aims to guide public and private institutions, small to large-scale producers, technical and civil society organizations participating in the sector to achieve common objectives. The overall goal of the NOPSAP 2021 - 2025 is to place the oil palm sector as a strategic engine for national and inclusive rural economic growth.