Big-name cos. partner for sustainable palm project in Indonesia

BASF, The Estée Lauder Companies and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil are partnering with the civil society organization Solidaridad to promote sustainable palm oil and palm derivatives production in the district of Waykanan, Lampung, Indonesia.

The project supports independent Indonesian smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods and their sustainable production of palm oil and palm kernel oil. It offers continuous education and technical support on implementing and maintaining sustainable palm oil practices. The project’s target is that a minimum of one-third of the supported smallholder farmers become certified according to the Smallholder Standard of RSPO at the end of three years.

The project partners are collaborating with the Indonesian government to foster a sustainable palm oil production supply chain in Lampung that is free from deforestation and competitive in the global market, while increasing the social and economic benefits for farmers.

“Most major European companies have committed to using sustainable palm oil exclusively," said Heske Verburg, managing director of Solidaridad Europe. "We are delighted that BASF and The Estée Lauder Companies are reaching beyond just purchasing sustainably, by providing direct support for sustainable palm oil projects. When palm oil is produced sustainably, and in a future-proof manner, it can actually contribute to resolving grave issues for both farmers and the environment.”

“We are thrilled to partner with BASF and Solidaridad on this important initiative to support Indonesian smallholder farmers,” said Greg Polcer, global supply chain executive vice president at The Estée Lauder Companies. “So many livelihoods in this community are inextricably tied to the production and we support ensuring that it is produced sustainably—both for the long-term benefit to the environment and for the long-term benefit to the community itself.”

“Approximately 40 percent of the world palm production comes from smallholder farmers who rely on it for their livelihoods,” said Daniele Piergentili, vice president of home and personal care at BASF in North America. “The partnership with Estée Lauder, Solidaridad and RSPO enables us to support these farmers and at the same time increase the availability of sustainably produced palm oil.”

"For sustainable production to become mainstream and fully inclusive, the RSPO believes it is imperative to support smallholders through a variety of different approaches, including the RSPO Smallholder Support Fund,” said Ashwin Selvaraj, head of the smallholder unit in the RSPO Secretariat. “This collaborative project in Lampung is a great opportunity to scale up sustainable practices, protect natural resources and bring more smallholders under certification through RSPO best management practices.”