With the morning sun peering behind the fluffy white clouds of the central Sumatran sky, a group of students at high school SMA Negeri 11 in Desa Terusan, Jambi, are gathered around a small field learning about the proper methods of planting oil palm trees.
Here, students learn about the entire lifecycle of sustainable palm oil cultivation, from the planting of oil palm seedlings to nurturing them into healthy trees to harvesting their produce for sale. Proceeds from the sales are then rechanneled back to the school to fund enrichment activities for its students.
Palm oil production is a vital pillar of Indonesia’s economy—the world’s largest producer and consumer of the product, accounting for roughly half of the world’s supply.
