In the News

Who has really benefited from Liberia's miracle oil?

5th January 2020

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This is a fantastic Guardian exploration of the impact of palm oil on the Liberian economy, and those that produce it. It highlights the 'promise' of higher incomes for Liberian farmers and the reality of the impact.

In short, the ordinary farmer hasn't seen much in the way of benefit but the large agro-businesses who have acquired land have done. There's lots to look at: property rights, sustainable growth, the inequalities of trade and so on. It's a microcosm of the practicalities of development for the world's poorest.

I worked and lived for 1 year in Grand Bassa, #Liberia and I recommend reading this article. Don't forget palm oil is part of a huge amount of products we use daily. https://t.co/gKFovY9Kfp
— Jeroen Jansen (@jjnetherlands) January 4, 2020

Late last year I went to Liberia to learn about the impact of the palm oil industry.

I was told of an industry that has done precious little to help develop one of the world's poorest countries, bringing only broken promises.https://t.co/RvC6sd1tTU
— Rob Davies (@ByRobDavies) January 3, 2020

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Graham Watson

Graham Watson has taught Economics for over twenty years. He contributes to Tutor2U, reads voraciously and is interested in all aspects of Teaching and Learning.

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Who has really benefited from Liberia's miracle oil?

Graham Watson

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