Bandung, 10 December 2018 – Oil palm farmers who are members of the Bukit Potalo Cooperative today (10/12) gained Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, proving their commitment to supporting sustainable palm oil management.
Director-General of Plantation at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Bambang, MM handed the ISPO certificates directly to the Head of the Bukit Potalo Cooperative, Atan, during an Agriculture Day celebration in Gedung Sate, Bandung.
The Bukit Potalo Cooperative has been partners with Asian Agri since 1994. The group consists of 247 oil palm farmers who manage 494 hectares of oil palm plantations in Ukui District, Pelalawan Regency, Riau.
The decision to grant the group ISPO certification was made during the ISPO Commission meeting, after the cooperative was determined to have fulfilled several terms and conditions required for the certification, such as land and cooperative legality, implementation of best management practices, and contribution to environmental sustainability and social aspects.
The achievement was a positive result of partnerships and collaboration between various stakeholders in the oil palm industry. Bukit Potalo Cooperative’s ISPO certification was effected by the Indonesian government’s Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative (SPOI) through the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) and Tanoto Foundation, as well as Asian Agri as a partner company.
“Speaking on behalf of the Bukit Potalo Cooperative, I hope that our success in obtaining this ISPO certification proves that farmers are able to manage oil palm plantations in a sustainable manner. We also hope that our success can inspire and motivate our fellow oil palm farmers to similarly obtain certification,” Atan said.
“In addition, we also want to thank the government, UNDP, Asian Agri and Tanoto Foundation for enabling us to obtain ISPO certification,” he said.
On the same occasion, Asian Agri also succeeded in obtaining ISPO certifications for two of its business units – PT Hari Sawit Jaya and PT Andalas Intiagro Lestari – in Riau.
The additional certification for two of Asian Agri’s business units is in line with the company’s commitment to always prioritise sustainable practices. The company has now achieved 93% ISPO certification across all its estates and factories.
Asian Agri’s Director of Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations, Bernard A. Riedo, who was present at the event, explained that one of the main aims of the partnership program is to disseminate the best practices carried out by the company to the assisted farmers.
“Smallholders manage around 40% of oil palm plantations in Indonesia. Their role is important in sustaining national oil palm management and farmers today are proving that they are able to manage oil palm plantations sustainably,” Bernard said.
“We hope that positive cooperation and achievement in supporting sustainable palm oil management can continue to be established, in line with the Indonesian government and Ministry of Agriculture’s national target of achieving 100% ISPO certification by 2020,” he said.
About Asian Agri:
Asian Agri is one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers since 1979. Today, the company manages 100,000 hectares of land and employs over 25,000 people. A pioneer of the Indonesian government’s Trans-National Government Migration (PIR-Trans) program, Asian Agri works with 30,000 plasma smallholders in Riau and Jambi who operate 60,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, as well as independent smallholders, bringing about positive impact on their quality of life and economic development.
Implementing a strict “no burn” policy and best practices in sustainable plantation management, Asian Agri has helped its smallholder partners improve productivity, yield and supply chain traceability, while assisting them obtain certifications. The company’s mills are technologically advanced and energy self-sufficient, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Asian Agri is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). More than 86% of both owned plantations in North Sumatra, Riau & Jambi provinces and 100% of scheme smallholder plantations in Riau & Jambi provinces have been RSPO certified.
All plantations, including those owned by smallholders, have been certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification).
More than 93% of plantations and mills owned by Asian Agri have been ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.
The company’s operations are ISO 14001 certified, while its Learning Institute and nursery research center in Riau province, Indonesia are both ISO 9001 certified. Asian Agri’s R&D Center in North Sumatra was also given a certification by the International Plant-Analytical Exchange at the WEPAL lab at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, for its high standards.
For further information, please contact:
| Dinna Permana Setyani |
| Corporate Communication Manager |
| E-mail: DinnaPermana@www.asianagri.com |
| DID: (021) 230 1119 |
