The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH)

Palm oil production sustains thousands of households across Edo State, yet the sector faces a fundamental challenge: balancing expansion with forest protection and inclusive community development. In the Sakponba landscape, unsustainable practices, unclear land tenure systems and limited resources for women and young people have reinforced poverty and increased ecological risks.

To address these challenges, IDH partnered with VIISAUS to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic scoping study across 35 of 48 Sakponba communities. The aim was to generate actionable insights that could guide sustainable palm oil production, forest conservation and livelihood enhancement for smallholder farmers.

The study combined field surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with 390 respondents. It mapped stakeholders, profiled socio-economic dynamics and analysed land use and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The findings revealed systemic barriers such as patriarchal land access, market concentration and poor infrastructure, while also highlighting opportunities for inclusion, productivity and forest-smart solutions.

Outcomes included a stakeholder influence and interest map, a detailed socio-economic profile of communities and practical recommendations for strengthening sustainable palm oil systems. These insights now serve as a foundation for IDH’s NI-SCOPS programme, enabling evidence-based strategies that integrate environmental protection, market access and social equity.

By delivering this level of clarity, VIISAUS helped IDH and its partners position Sakponba as a model landscape where sustainable palm oil production, community resilience and forest protection can co-exist.