Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10 April, 2015 – In a unique partnership between Cargill, Wild Asia and Solidaridad, a group of 34 independent smallholders in Perak, Malaysia, achieved sustainable palm oil certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on 20 March 2015.
Through the partnership, this group of smallholder farmers is now connected to a global certified sustainable supply chain, and they are leading the way for more smallholder farmers to join this program by the end of this year. The ultimate aim of the project is to develop a replicable, self-sustaining process that includes independent smallholders, dealers and mills, to achieve certified sustainable palm oil production.
In Malaysia, which is the second largest producer of palm oil in the world, Cargill, Wild Asia and Solidaridad have provided assistance and technical training to help oil palm smallholders achieve RSPO certification.
The goal of the program is to help an additional 100 independent smallholders in Malaysia meet RSPO sustainable palm oil production standards by the end of 2015. The certification, driven by Cargill as part of their commitment to achieving a fully sustainable supply chain, sets the stage for the long term production of RSPO certified palm oil in Malaysia.
The program began in 2013 and involves a comprehensive network of independent players in the supply chain. The smallholders, the oil palm fruit dealers, the mill and the refiner have come together with a common goal to improve productivity and smallholders’ incomes in a sustainable way.
To increase the participation of smallholders, encourage new entrants to the scheme and ensure the long term sustainability of the program, Cargill is currently working with the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS) and the oil palm mill to provide incentives for the current group of certified smallholders to continue to produce certified sustainable palm oil.
Visit Wild Asia’s Group Scheme (WAGS) for more information on our work with smallholders.
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