PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — PT Sawit Sumbermas Sarana Tbk. (SSMS) has reaffirmed its leadership in sustainable palm oil practices, proudly becoming the first and only company in Indonesia to achieve 100% certification from both the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) schemes.
“This is a milestone we take great pride in,” said SSMS President Director Jap Hartono during the company’s Public Exposé on Thursday (May 8, 2025), attended by Palmoilmagazine.com. “We are the first and only company in the country to achieve full RSPO and ISPO certification.”
Jap emphasized that the company’s sustainability vision goes beyond compliance—it includes building a shared understanding with all stakeholders and delivering long-term social and environmental benefits.
SSMS also claims to be the only palm oil company in Indonesia fully committed to a zero waste principle. “All by-products from our operations are repurposed into energy or other beneficial uses for the company,” Jap explained.
Currently, SSMS operates two biomass-based renewable energy plants, which support its mill operations and have begun supplying power to nearby public facilities, such as elementary schools located around plantation areas.
In addition to environmental efforts, SSMS is also committed to community empowerment through strong partnerships with smallholders. The company has fulfilled its core-plasma obligations, including the allocation of 20% of plantation land to plasma farmers and comprehensive support to farmer cooperatives.
“Our philosophy is simple,” Jap added. “When the company grows, the surrounding communities must prosper too.”
SSMS’s social initiatives also extend to education, with the company managing 20 schools—ranging from kindergarten to high school—under its foundation. These schools are open not only to the children of plantation workers but also to the broader community, producing graduates who have gone on to achieve remarkable success.
“We’re proud that some of our students have become doctors, including children whose parents once worked as laborers on our plantations,” Jap shared.
Through these initiatives, SSMS demonstrates that sustainability is not just a label but a comprehensive and practical approach embedded throughout its operations—from plantation to processing to community development. (P2)
