|
|
|
BioFuel Africa Ltd. (Ghana), a subsidiary of BioFuel AS (Norway), is the first company in Ghana to secure Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for the planting and cultivation of jatropha.
All new agriculture projects more than 40 hectares in size require EPA approval. If the project involves an energy crop, anything more than 10 hectares requires approval. BioFuel Africa received approval for a 23,762.45-hectare (58,718.29 acre) area in the Northern Region of Ghana.
As part of the EPA process, BioFuel Africa conducted a baseline study of the area's fauna, water and soil, as well as its community and social structure. The company then developed a program of environmental, social and economic activities that will be continuously monitored to assure the communities in the project area are positively impacted by its operations and the company stays in compliance with the EPA. These activities include water collection/rain harvesting, soil fertility and water quality testing, job creation and hiring practices, fire control and safety, farmland and cultural preservation, intercropping and grazing ground protection, healthcare services and adult and primary education, among others.
As part of the monitoring process, the community will appoint community representatives to a board that also includes participants from BioFuel Africa, as well as local and tribal governments. This committee will provide feedback and input to BioFuel Africa, as well as serve as an open channel for information flow. The company requires that women comprise 40 percent of the participants on this board to assure the needs of women and children in the communities are represented and addressed.
| |
|
