Herakles Farms Releases Environmental & Social Impact Assessment, Launches Social Infrastructure Program

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Herakles Farms, a New York-based agriculture company operating in Ghana and Cameroon, has released its preliminary Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for its Cameroon palm oil company, SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC).  The document was submitted to the Government of Cameroon for public consultation on 16 August, 2011, and consultations in accordance with the Government's requirements took place from 29 August until 3 September, 2011.  In addition to the Government-required consultations and to include the international community, Herakles Farms will post the ESIA on its website at http://www.heraklescapital.com/agriculture.html for an additional 30 days of public consultation beginning on 14 September, 2011.

The ESIA outlines critical information relating to SGSOC's development plans, potential impacts, measures to enhance positive impacts, and measures to avoid and mitigate potential negative impacts.  It also elaborates on the company's commitment to working with the neighboring communities to develop social infrastructure that will enhance their wellbeing.  Social infrastructure commitments are important to local communities in the Southwest Region of Cameroon due to the current underdevelopment of potable water, road networks, and quality education and health services.  

The company recently launched one such social infrastructure program with the drilling of its first fresh-water well in the village of Fabe.  The facility is near completion, after which Herakles Farms will continue to develop wells in communities in need throughout its concession.  The development of roads, schools and health clinics is expected to commence in the first half of 2012.  All social infrastructure programming is planned with consultation from the communities to ensure participatory economic development.

About Herakles Farms

Established in 2009, Herakles Farms is focused on large-scale agricultural projects in Africa. The management team has a proven track record developing environmentally and socially responsible projects that result in economic development in some of the least-developed African countries, and has received numerous awards for its work. Previously known as SG Sustainable Oils (SGSO), the company has been an active member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is in the process of updating its membership name to Herakles Farms. Herakles Farms is partnered with the nonprofit, All for Africa, which funds projects focused on agriculture, clean water, community health, education, energy, environmental impact, micro-financing and skills training/livelihood creation.

SOURCE Herakles Farms