PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – On November 18, 2024, Indonesia will celebrate Hari Sawit Nasional, marking 113 years of the palm oil industry’s development in the country. Since the first commercial palm oil planting in 1911 by a European businessman in Pulau Raja, Asahan Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia has grown to become the world’s largest palm oil producer, accounting for 55% of global trade.
In 2022, the palm oil sector contributed Rp 600 trillion to export revenues and provided employment for approximately 16 million people across 160 regencies and tens of thousands of villages.
However, alongside the success of the palm oil industry comes a growing social responsibility. In 2021, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) introduced the SIRA (Sawit Indonesia Ramah Anak) initiative, aimed at ensuring no children are involved in the palm oil sector.
Sumarjono Saragih, Chairman of IPOA’s Human Resource Development and Founder of WISPO (Worker Initiatives for Sustainable Palm Oil), explained that the initiative focuses on respecting, protecting, and fulfilling children’s rights, in line with legal regulations prohibiting child labor.
“The best practices in SIRA include child care, association programs, school buses, health services, plantation health centers, and schools around palm oil plantations. Each initiative serves as a foundation to prepare rural children for a bright future as the next generation,” Saragih said in an official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com on Thursday (31/10/2024).
To reinforce this movement, IPOA conducted workshop and seminar with the theme “Sawit Indonesia Ramah Anak” in 15 branch provinces. The event was once conducted in Papua in June 2024, with the theme “Papua Emas 2045 Bersama Sawit.” It was the same with the event in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan Province on 22 – 24 October 2024 and the other provinces would be too.
Palm oil industries are committed not only to obey the legal but also would realize the responsibility and contribution in the national scale – agenda of Indonesia Emas 2045. By SIRA, palm oil industries should be the place for the golden generations to support and make Indonesia go forward and be socially fair. It is hoped the child friendly – practices would happen in every community namely in the rural to create the better generations in the future. (P2)