PALMOILMAGAZINE, SAMARINDA – East Kalimantan Province, one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers, continues to strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability by establishing High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs). A comprehensive discussion on the 2024–2030 HCVA roadmap is crucial to achieving these goals.
In 2023, East Kalimantan produced 4.22 million tons of palm oil, accounting for 8.98% of the nation’s total output. The province aims to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. “Palm oil plantations play a vital role in the economy, and East Kalimantan is committed to sustainable practices by conserving HCVAs,” said Andi Sidik, Acting Secretary of the East Kalimantan Plantation Agency, on behalf of the Head of the Agency, E. A. Rafiddin Rizal, as quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com on Saturday (21/9/2024).
During the discussion, attended by government representatives, plantation associations, independent growers, and development partners, Andi highlighted the province’s efforts, including an HCVA indicative map published in 2020. The map covers approximately 456,827 hectares, with 60% (270,520 hectares) formally designated by regents. “We hope the remaining 40% will soon be officially designated as HCVA,” he added.
Governor Regulation No. 12/2021 requires companies to identify, maintain, and monitor HCVAs within their concessions, while regents are responsible for areas outside company concessions. However, by 2024, some companies had yet to report their HCVA management efforts, and new plantings were still occurring.
Sustainable Palm Oil Development Manager of Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), Yohannes Ryan emphasized it would be significant to get the same agreement to increase the indicative status of HCVA to be the definitive areas. “We would do the best to make sure that HCVA would be always protected and conserved sustainably,” he said.
Chairman of Forum Sustainable Plantation Communication East Kalimantan Province, Yus Alwi Rahman said that the establishment of HCVA has started since 2015 and East Kalimantan Province would be committed to be always the pioneer in sustainable plantation cultivation in Indonesia.
The establishment and protection about HCVA would be the key for palm oil products from the province to compete in many countries by qualifying the sustainable standards, such as, Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certificates. (P2)
