East Kutai Leads Efforts Toward Global Sustainability in Palm Oil Sector

Palm Oil Magazine
East Kutai Leads Efforts Toward Global Sustainability in Palm Oil Sector. Photo by: Palm Oil Magazine

PALMOILMAGAZINE, SANGATTA – East Kutai Regency (Kutim) is undertaking strategic measures to align with global sustainability standards in the palm oil sector. During a meeting with the USAID SEGAR (The United States Agency for International Development – Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions) team and the GIZ Sustain Consortium.

Kutim Regent H. Ardiansyah Sulaiman reaffirmed his commitment to expediting the implementation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – Jurisdictional Approach (RSPO-JA) certification. This initiative is poised to position Kutim as a frontrunner in sustainable development based on palm oil commodities.

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Held on Thursday at the Regent’s office within the Kutim Regency Government Office Center Complex, the meeting marked a critical step in enhancing collaboration among local authorities, development partners, and industry stakeholders. The RSPO-JA approach focuses on mitigating the environmental and social impacts of oil palm plantations by adhering to internationally recognized standards.

Also Read: The Need for a Special Agency for Palm Oil to Boost State Revenues and Governance

Regent Ardiansyah Sulaiman explained that the program is in line with Kutim’s long-term development vision, namely “Kutai Timur Hebat 2045,” with a focus on advanced, inclusive, and sustainable downstream natural resources. One of the main commodities to focus on is palm oil.

“We at the Kutim Regency Government have started the grand design of agribusiness and agro-industry in the first RPJPD and 70 percent has been realized. In the future, Kutim must become the center of downstream renewable natural resources in 2045,” he said in his statement quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com, Tuesday (24/12/2024).

Ardiansyah added, that the future of Kutim will depend on the sustainable management of natural resources. “The oil palm plantation in Kutim is the largest in East Kalimantan, and if RSPO becomes a global standard, we must maximize it for the future of the region,” he said.

Josi Khatarina, Environmental Governance Lead of USAID SEGAR, said that Kutim has shown significant progress in its preparation towards RSPO-JA implementation, even more advanced than other regions. Kutim became the second district in Indonesia to implement this approach after Seruyan, and the fourth in the world after Ecuador, Sabah, and Seruyan.

“One important step that has been taken is the data collection of ANKT (High Conservation Value Area), which has been equipped with an indicative map. This shows that Kutim is more advanced than other regions,” Josi explained.

The next stage is business mapping which includes data collection of farmers, suppliers and buyers. This step will help in the certification process which will be carried out in stages. The implementation of RSPO-JA also supports the acceleration of ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certification at the national level.

As a first step, the meeting ended with the signing of a Letter of Intent between the local government and relevant partners. Various parties, including FORMIKA, BAPPEDA, DISBUN, and other technical local government organizations, were involved in this agenda.

With the implementation of RSPO-JA, Kutim palm oil products are expected to be able to compete in the global market while supporting sustainable development in the region. This step is an important foundation to realize Kutim’s vision as the center of downstream renewable natural resources in 2045. (P2)

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