Asian Agri signed a pledge in New York, along with Wilmar, Golden Agri Resources, Cargill and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), to commit to responsible and sustainable palm oil production.
The pledge signing took place at the “Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil” meeting during the United Nations Climate Summit 2014 in New York and was witnessed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The pledge’s signatories agreed to adopt and promote sustainable palm oil production practices, as well as improve smallholder productivity and community participation in palm oil production. Palm oil is one of Indonesia’s primary export commodities and one that touches a broad spectrum of life’s activities.
The World Wide Fund for Nature said the signing marked a serious commitment. “Amidst the grim pictures in the market of how oil palm development has been impacting forests and people, WWF believes that the commitments presented today by the top palm oil leaders of industry and Kadin sheds light to the global market that Indonesia is seriously making step-wise journey towards sustainability in the ways palm oil is produced,” said Efransjah, the chief executive of WWF Indonesia.
