PALMOILMAGAZINE, SAMARINDA – The East Kalimantan Province has reached a consensus to advance palm oil cultivation using sustainable practices as part of its efforts to increase production while prioritizing support and environmental conservation. A significant challenge lies in balancing production escalation with environmental considerations.
Ranked sixth among Indonesian provinces with the largest palm oil plantations, covering approximately 1.32 million hectares, East Kalimantan faces regional, national, and international pressures to reduce emissions associated with plantation development.
During a workshop on the Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) Certification for Palm Oil Plantation Companies in East Kalimantan, Ahmad Muzakkir, Head of the East Kalimantan Plantation Agency, revealed that out of the 303 major private companies operating in the province, only 100 received ISPO certificates in 2023.
Also Read: Accelerating ISPO Certification in East Kalimantan Plantations 26 Percent Success
Muzakkir told the fact is not the same with the regulation about sustainable palm oil plantation, as in the President’s Regulation Number 44 / 2020 and the Regulation of Minister of Agriculture Number 38 / 2020.
By the workshop, it is hoped that the capacity of the companies to formulate SOP to get ISPO would be escalating and would accelerate ISPO certification process in East Kalimantan. ISPO certificate would deliver acknowledgement not only in the commitment of the companies about sustainable practices but also open market access globally on palm oil products from Indonesia that highly qualified standards of sustainability.
He emphasized ISPO certification process would involve third parties to make sure the companies would obey standards of sustainability in ISPO.
“ISPO certification process would involve third parties to confirm the companies obey sustainable standards and be responsible to what ISPO regulates,” Muzakkir said, as Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from the official page of East Kalimantan Plantation Agency, Thursday (21/3/2024). (T2)
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