Through its Smallholders Program, Musim Mas also encourages smallholders to fulfill certification.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Palm oil and its derivatives have become essential commodities and a major contributor to Indonesia's exports. However, the sector has been in the spotlight due to concerns over the risks of deforestation, forest degradation, and loss of biodiversity.
Musim Mas’ Smallholders Program trains independent smallholders to implement good and sustainable agronomic practices and to obtain Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.
To address the issue, the Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, developed the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification standard in 2011 to ensure palm oil production in Indonesia is sustainable. ISPO certification is mandatory for all Palm Oil Plantation Business Actors and Planters. ISPO was also updated to include new benchmarks under Presidential Regulation 44 of 2020. This includes enhanced efforts to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions, improve environmental management and social protection, and increase the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil.
With its commitment to sustainability, Musim Mas Group achieved 100% ISPO certification for its 17 upstream subsidiaries last August.
"For Musim Mas, sustainability means responsibly providing high-quality and innovative palm oil products and derivatives. Together with stakeholders in this industry, we try to find the best solutions to address carbon gas emissions, biodiversity, and human rights, including workers' rights. The ISPO certification that we received further strengthens our commitment to running our business following applicable laws," said Olivier Tichit, Director of Sustainability for Musim Mas Group.
Beyond its own operations, Musim Mas also supports independent smallholders. Smallholders make up around 41% of oil palm planted areas and have a deadline of 2025 to gain ISPO certification but often lack the know-how and resources to produce sustainably. To support them, Musim Mas leads Indonesia's largest independent Smallholder Program to provide training on sustainable agricultural practices and encourage certification.
Rudman Simanjuntak, Manager of Independent Smallholder Musim Mas Group, explained, "Independent smallholders are an important group that must be included in making sustainable palm oil the norm. We encourage and assist them in fulfilling the criteria required in the certification process. Through Musim Mas' Smallholder Program, we ensure that no one is left behind in our journey towards a more sustainable palm oil industry."
As of September 2023, Musim Mas' Smallholders Program has trained over 41,900 independent smallholders throughout Indonesia. Of these, 1,959 farmers have successfully been ISPO certified.
Media contact:
First name: Reza Rinaldi
Last name: Mardja
Email: Communications@Musimmas.com
Business Phone Number: +62-811-606-3237
