InfoSAWIT, SIERRA LEONE — Africa continues to face an alarming rate of forest loss. Between 2010 and 2020, the continent recorded the highest deforestation rate globally, averaging 3.9 million hectares per year. Agricultural expansion, unsustainable fuelwood use, logging, and mining activities are the main drivers of forest cover loss.
Amid this pressure, a transformative initiative has emerged in Sierra Leone. Planting Naturals has strengthened its commitment to sustainable palm oil production by partnering with KOLTIVA, a global leader in sustainable supply chain technology. The collaboration aims to establish a fully traceable, transparent palm oil supply chain that complies with global sustainability standards.
Planting Naturals produces organic crude palm oil and palm kernel oil for export markets, sourcing from its own plantations and a network of more than 7,200 smallholder farmers. The company is recognized as the first RSPO-certified organic palm oil plantation operator in Sierra Leone and has developed an outgrower partnership model aligned with evolving global regulations, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Through traceability technology and field support provided by KOLTIVA, Planting Naturals now delivers full visibility down to plot level across its supply chain. This capability is increasingly crucial as EUDR requires all commodities entering the European Union market to be proven deforestation-free and legally produced.
“With EUDR significantly impacting global trade, we are taking decisive steps to ensure that every drop of palm oil we produce is legal, deforestation-free, and fully traceable,” said Jan Hein De Vroe, Co-Founder & CEO of Planting Naturals. By utilizing KOLTIVA’s KoltiTrace platform, the company integrates geolocation, legality, and sustainability data comprehensively.
The transformation is supported by KOLTIVA’s traceability platform, enabling detailed plantation mapping, real-time data collection, and compliance monitoring across the supply chain. Trained field teams collect verified farmer profiles, land mapping, and sustainability practice data, all consolidated into a centralized system to support EUDR risk assessment, shipment reporting, and audit readiness.
Beyond regulatory compliance, the initiative fosters inclusive business development. By integrating more than 7,200 smallholders into a verified and traceable system, Planting Naturals strengthens rural livelihoods while safeguarding biodiversity.
Marvellous Ogala, Sustainability Manager at Planting Naturals, noted that operations have become more efficient and transparent, while KOLTIVA’s Co-Founder & CEO Manfred Borer emphasized that the partnership demonstrates Africa’s capacity to lead responsible agribusiness practices. (T2)
