Monrovia,  October 27, 2025: In June 2025, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) closed its complaint against Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), ending a stop-work order that applied to some areas in Sinoe County. This decision recognized GVL’s compliance with the RSPO Complaints Panel’s guidance and its ongoing efforts to address concerns first raised in 2012.

This was not a reversal of the RSPO’s decision, as asserted in a recent Mongabay article (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil must halt Liberian palm oil company’s abuses). It was a ruling based on facts and following due process in a transparent, publicly-accessible complaints procedure.

Throughout this process, GVL has followed the guidance of the RSPO Complaints Panel and an Independent Facilitator, ProForest, which carried out field investigations and led remediation efforts with communities and other stakeholders.

Remediation of Forest Clearance

Additionally, an investigation by Earthworm Foundation, commissioned by GVL to perform field assessments on High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest clearance within its concession areas, found that 621 ha of HCS had been cleared. 

GVL is currently implementing a remediation plan for this area, created in consultation with ProForest. The project covers a community forest with an area of 947 ha, and is currently awaiting approval from the FDA to be expanded to more than 1000 ha. Annual progress reports are submitted to GVL investor Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), which was the subject of the original HCSA grievance.

No Planned Expansion of Operations

GVL declared a voluntary moratorium on all expansion in 2018 while it embarked on its Sustainability Action Plan. Any future expansion will be subject to full compliance with the RSPO’s New Planting Process, and in full consultation with local communities.

For more information on closure of the RSPO complaint: Final Directive and Closure of the Post Complaint Monitoring Period.