Monrovia, Liberia - The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, has expressed strong willingness to closely work with Green Gold Liberia, a company involved with turning agricultural and forest residue into fire coal in the fight against climate change.

Speaking Wednesday, October 9,2019, when she toured the production facility of the Company, based in the VOA Community in  Brewerville, Montserrado County, VP Howard-Taylor also hailed the Company for the current  level  of production activities which she believes create employment opportunities for young people.

“This innovative idea by Green Gold buttresses President George M. Weah’s Development Agenda especially in the areas of job creation and empowerment of the  vulnerable, including people living with disabilities”,the Liberian Vice President declared during the tour.

According to a release from the Office of the Vice President, the Vice President explained that the processes involved with such innovative idea, create several   life-impacting opportunities for Liberians.

She furthered that the project, if sustained, will improve the quality of life through the creation of economic and social interaction by way of using the technology to integrate energy, water and transport.

VP Howard-Taylor thanked the Management of Green Gold Liberia for initiating such meaningful project in Liberia, while pledging to partner with some international organizations to support this endeavor.

As a manifestation of said commitment, the Liberian Vice President has asked some senior staff member of her Office to closely work with the Management of Green Gold Liberia to draw up a blue print for  donor assistance to sustain the project.

Speaking earlier, the General Manager of the Company, Mr. Morris Dougba, expressed excitement for the visit of the Vice President which he noted was on a short notice.

Mr. Dougba, who took the VP on the guided tour of the production facility of Green Gold Liberia, explained that the Company’s technology to produce coal from agricultural residue, otherwise known as fayacoal, a new name developed by the Company, burns longer and is cheaper, smoke-free and eco-friendly.

He revealed that the charcoal industry is worth millions of dollars and, therefore, would require an alternative technology as a consequence.

“There will be a time when trees will no longer be available and its negative effect will be felt throughout the country,”the Green Gold General Manager told the Vice President.

Mr. Dougba noted that to mitigate this situation, Liberians must consider the alternative fayacoal solution, a new technology using sustainable Bio-briquettes that come from agricultural and forest residue to save Liberia’s forest from wood charcoal.

A 2019 World Bank Group findings on the Charcoal industry, revealed that charcoal demand in Liberia is growing rapidly from an estimated 337,000 metric tons worth US$46 million in 2018, due to ready availability, desirable performance characteristics and a lack of affordable alternatives.

The industry is thought to employ up to 28,000 people on a ‘full-time equivalent’ basis, though many more in practice due to seasonal or part-time involvement.

Prices, according to the findings, are among Africa’s lowest due to an abundance of raw material, dominance by part-time producers with low income expectations, minimal regulation and taxation, subsidized transport, a high degree of retail competition and value chain capture by well-resourced traders.