Press Releases

Jakarta, 4 December 2024 – Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAR) is pleased to announce that one of its independent smallholder cooperatives, enrolled in the Sawit Terampil programme, has achieved Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.

Koperasi Jasa Sawit Lepan Jaya (KJSLJ) from Langkat, North Sumatra, comprising 250 independent smallholders covering 368 hectares, is the second independent smallholder organisation to achieve RSPO certification through the Sawit Terampil programme. The certification was awarded to Ardiyanto, group manager and chairman of KJSLJ, during the RSPO Roundtable Conference (RT) in Bangkok, Thailand, which took place from 11–13 November 2024.

The Sawit Terampil programme is a comprehensive capacity-building initiative designed to provide independent smallholders with the knowledge and skills needed to implement best management practices in palm oil production, with the hope of increasing their productivity.

“This is an important milestone for the farmers participating in the Sawit Terampil Programme who wish to obtain RSPO sustainability certification. The main goal of this programme is to implement best farming practices, help prepare farmers to meet existing sustainability criteria, and also comply with Indonesian government regulations,” said Helena Delima Lumban Gaol, Head of Smallholders Innovation Department, who leads the Sawit Terampil programme.

The Sawit Terampil programme also encourages independent smallholders to obtain Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, as outlined in the 2019–2024 National Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil Plantations (Rencana Aksi Nasional Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit Berkelanjutan – RAN KSB). One requirement for this is that farmers must obtain a Cultivation Registration Certificate (Surat Tanda Daftar Budidaya – STDB) from the local government. The Sawit Terampil Programme assists both the government and smallholders in accelerating the issuance of STDB by mapping the lands of smallholders participating in the programme. The farmers’ land maps (geo-locations) serve as a basis for obtaining the STDB.

“Not only have we gained a great deal of knowledge related to good agricultural practices, which enabled us to achieve RSPO certification—an international standard—but we have also been greatly assisted by the mapping carried out by the Sawit Terampil Programme. We were finally able to complete the STDB form and have submitted it to the government. Hopefully, the STDB will be issued soon,” said Ardiyanto, chairman of KJSLJ.

Strengthening supply chains by encouraging certification readiness
In addition to KJSLJ, another independent smallholder organisation participating in the Sawit Terampil Programme, CV Perangin-angin Group (CV PAG), with 299 farmers in Aceh Subulussalam, also received a recommendation from the Certification Body to obtain RSPO certification. At the end of 2023, the first Sawit Terampil programme participant, Perkumpulan Sejahtera Petani Nusantara (PSPN) from North Aceh, achieved RSPO certification in Jakarta.

As of October 2024, the Sawit Terampil Programme has trained more than 9,000 independent smallholders, who are now included in GAR’s supply chain across several districts in Aceh and Langkat district, North Sumatra.

GAR aims to scale up Sawit Terampil to reach a total of 100,000 smallholders trained by 2035.

About Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAR)
GAR is a leading fully-integrated agribusiness company. In Indonesia, it manages an oil palm plantation area of almost 534,000 hectares (including plasma smallholders) as of 30 September 2024. It has integrated operations focused on the technology-driven production and distribution of an extensive portfolio of palm-based products throughout its established international marketing network.

Founded in 1996, GAR was listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1999 and has a market capitalisation of US$2.8 billion as of 30 September 2024. Flambo International Limited, an investment company, is GAR’s largest shareholder, with a 50.56% stake. In addition, GAR’s subsidiary, PT SMART Tbk was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1992.

As an integrated agribusiness, GAR delivers an efficient end-to-end supply chain, from responsible production to global delivery. In Indonesia, its primary activities include cultivating and harvesting oil palm trees; the processing of fresh fruit bunch into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel; refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine, shortening, biodiesel and oleo-chemicals; as well as merchandising palm products globally.

GAR’s products are delivered to a diversified customer base in over 100 countries through its global distribution network with shipping and logistics capabilities, destination marketing, on-shore refining and ex-tank operations. GAR also has complementary businesses such as soybean-based products in China, sunflower-based products in India, and sugar businesses.

For more information about our company, visit https://www.goldenagri.com.sg/