WAGS Support for Independent Producers
One of the challenges for many commodity-related industries is ensuring that global standards do not marginalise small producers. Wild Asia pioneered a scheme for small palm oil producers through a programme called Wild Asia Group Scheme for Small Producers or WAGS.
WAGS was created to address the challenges faced by independent small farmers by providing the necessary technical assistance, training and capacity building for small farmer groups. The focus is to help them improve their farming practices and support them towards reaching international standards (for example, RSPO). As a methodology, it has been developed from the ground-up, to address the challenges of traceability in the palm oil supply chain, and challenges of small producers in enhancing their productivity and best management practices to meet “zero deforestation” commitments.
Key Features
- Established: First piloted in 2010, with the support of a RSPO member and International donors.
- Origin of Product: All WAGS suppliers are able to trace the origins of the product back to their farms.
- WAGS Group Policy & Code of Conduct: All verified suppliers have to abide by the WAGS Group Policy and a Code of Conduct to fulfill legal requirements, ensure workers’ rights and promote low-impact operations. To view the Group Policy & Code of Conduct, click here.
- Risk Management: All WAGS suppliers complete a producer and farm profile, including the identification of their farms. This allows Wild Asia to apply a risk assessment methodology to understand the main limitations to meet “zero deforestation” commitments.
- Globally Benchmarked. Our approaches are globally benchmarked hence our methods can be validated independently. Our work has been RSPO- and MSPO-certified and we continue to refine our approaches to meet these standards.
- Trusted Partner. As a not-for-profit organization, Wild Asia is able to build a level of trust with the suppliers and bridge the gap between third-party suppliers and buyers.
Learn more about WAGS
WAGS – Progress To-date
Since the establishment of WAGS in 2010, we have supported independent small producers across Malaysia. The following table provides a summary of our work to-date, highlighting the total WAGS independent producers that are certified today to meet the RSPO Standard for Sustainable Oil Palm Production:
| Project Location | Status | Year Established | ISH – Certified FFB (mt/year) | ISH – Certified Area (ha) | Non ISH – Certified FFB (mt/year) | Non ISH – Certified Area (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAGS Sabah | Certified | 2012 | 14k | 4k | 184k | 22k |
| WAGS Perak | Certified | 2013 | 12k | 2k | 8k | 600 |
| WAGS Johor | Certified | 2019 | 14k | 1k | 129k | 18k |
| WAGS Selangor | Certified | 2022 | 1k | 174 | – | – |
| WAGS Thailand | In Progress | 2022 | In Progress | In Progress | – | – |
| Total | 41k | 7.1k | 321k | 40.6k | ||
| *Last updated November 2023 |
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WAGS – Availability of RSPO Certified Products
WAGS works directly with buyers to purchase physical or credits of sustainable palm oil or to develop a traceable supply chain to source of origin. Contact us if you are interested to purchase RSPO credits from our producer network. Please contact us for latest availability.