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If You Grow It, and It’s Good, They Will Buy It” – ArcelorMittal’s CEO Tells Liagbala Farmers about local market opportunity as he donates agriculture materials.
Yekepa, Nimba County – As a show of commitment to community development and sustainable livelihoods, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has delivered a vital boost to local farmers in Liagbala Town, Yarmein District, through the donation of essential agricultural production tools.
The initiative, driven by AML’s Chief Executive Officer, Michiel Van Der Merwe, aims to empower the community through vegetable farming and strengthen local food production.
The project, to be implemented through the Nimba-based group Rural Integrated Center for Community Empowerment (RICCE) with full support from AML, is part of a broader push by AML to support alternative livelihoods in its host communities.
Said the AML CEO: You are the community we see every day. This brings some opportunity for our community here. You’re sitting right next to a road. Our plan is to continue to upgrade the road and make the road better. What does that mean for our people here? It means you’ve got access to road. That means if you can somehow start producing some fruit, vegetable and food, even meat, whatever we can produce here, you’ve got access to the markets”.
“You are very well placed to be a primary producer and food source for the times to come,” said Van Der Merwe. “Our people need to eat every day. That means there’s a steady market. There are thousands of AML workers and contractors around here. If you grow it, and it’s good, they will buy it.”
“This is a golden opportunity for your future,” declared CEO Van Der Merwe during an address to the Liagbala community.
“We don’t want to take our food from Ghana or South Africa or Ukraine. We want to produce our own food right here in Liberia so that the money can come back into the pockets of our people.”
As CEO Van Der Merwe added, “Let’s not be dependent on something else from somewhere else. Let’s build our future with our own hands, in our own soil. Let’s make Liagbala shine.”
The CEO also emphasized that ArcelorMittal is deeply committed to fostering self-reliance. “Yes, we will help. But we must also help ourselves. Let’s work this land, keep this place clean and safe, and make Liagbala a model for what a thriving, empowered community looks like.”
He continued, “My dream for Liagbala is that one day we take produce from here and put it on our train to export to the rest of the world. That’s the challenge I want us to take on.”
According to Samuel Peter, a staff member of AML’s Community Development team, the project was inspired during a visit by Van Der Merwe to Liagbala last year.
“When the CEO came last year, he asked about the farming activities here. He said he’s a farmer and a friend of farmers and encouraged the community to get into serious agriculture. The people responded that they were already farming but faced challenges.”
Samuel explained that the community asked for basic tools, seeds, and other support. “They said if the company could help with those things, they would be happy to get involved more seriously. And the CEO said if they were willing to farm, he would support them. That’s how this initiative started.”
AML, he added then followed up by sending a team to assess the community’s preparedness and the people of Liagbala presented a concept note and confirmed the availability of five acres of land for vegetable cultivation.
The donated materials, which include assorted farming tools, seeds, and other supplies, will be used to cultivate a variety of vegetables. The project’s dual aim is to support food security and generate income for the community involved.
A Vision Beyond Farming
Integrated Center for Community Empowerment (RICCE), the local NGO implementing the project, hailed the initiative as transformational and said ArcelorMittal Liberia’s CEO “ is talking about local production, value addition, and even export. That means year-round farming, jobs, and prosperity for Liagbala.”
“This is power to the people—use it to the best of your ability,” a representative stated during the donation.
Community Development Manager Eric Swen echoed that sentiment adding “Sustainable development means working with the communities as partners. This project may look small, but the vision is big. You have your own market. We have our AML canteen, and you can sell your fruit and vegetables there. That puts real money in your pockets.”
Meanwhile, the residents of Liagbala welcomed the project with excitement and gratitude, praising ArcelorMittal Liberia for its continued presence and tangible support.
Yarmein Paramount Chief Richard Martin thanked ArcelorMittal Liberia for giving support for agriculture to be done in Nimba County.
He said agriculture helps developing countries: We can’t depend on companies every day going asking for work, because company will delay us. Open your farm. Plant plantain and banana eddoes will build you and develop. Liagbala- you need to put power to implement what the people have given you. If you continue to grow more food, the community will develop.”
AML’s intervention in Liagbala reflects its broader commitment to inclusive growth, community empowerment, and sustainable development across Grand Bassa, Bong, and Nimba counties.
