Sustainable Farming
Bambi and IDH, a Netherlands based Donor agency entered into a partnership to support Bambi’s Sustainable Oil Palm Smallholder Inclusion Project in Ondo State, Nigeria. IDH support came in the form of capacity building particularly in the following areas:
- Sensitization of farmers on smart farming
- Training on climate smart production and best management practices
- Increased adoption of all improved practices
- Gender and special Groups Focused Production
The Project was implemented under Bambi’s out-grower scheme that incorporated 1,100 smallholder farmers into the company’s supply chain. The 1,100 farmers were divided into two categories:
- 800 block farmers, each to be allocated 4ha of land; and
- 300 community farmers with existing oil palm farms within Odigbo, Ondo West, Ondo East and Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Areas of Ondo State.
The impact on smallholders’ livelihoods include:
- Sustainability and inclusion of smallholders in supply chain
- Improvement of livelihoods
- Increased productivity
- Oil palm production under a sustainable and environmental integrity regime
- Removal of the challenge of access to credit facing smallholder farmers
- Improved yield
- Knowledge acquisition in the promotion of climate smart best management practices, input pre-financing and credit services for farmers
- Bambi as the Off taker offers Farmers ready markets
- Income diversification through intercropping of legumes etc. and animal husbandry
