Sawit Sumbermas Sarana (SSS)

Sawit Sumbermas Sarana is a listed Indonesia-based Palm Oil plantations company, with business activities in cultivating oil palm trees, production of CPO, PK and PKO, as well as the marketing and distribution of the products. SSS has been a member of RSPO since 2007. The relevant case tracker can be found here.

1) Greenomics report titled, “IPOP Observer: IPOP Signatories are the Biggest Buyer of Palm Oil …” (04 June 2015)

2) RSPO complaints case (05 June 2015)

3) Foresthints report titled, “Palm Oil expansion in LiDAR – mapped pear still undetected” (23 April 2018)

(1) The greenomics report mentioned on IPOP signatories being the biggest buyers of Palm Oil from a subsidiary of Sawit Sumbermas Sarana (SSS), PT Kalimantan Sawit Abadi (KSA) that is clearing forested Peatland and orangutan habitat (based on IUCN data on the distribution of orangutans), that are being prepared for new plantings.

(2) Another subsidiary, Sawit Mandiri Lestari (SML) was mentioned as failing to consult communities with interests in the land it meant to clear and failing to properly identify high-conservation value (HCV) lands for conservation purposes, as required by the RSPO.

(3) The Foresthints article alleged clearance and development of Palm Oil on peat areas by the company.

April 2018
We studied the allegations against the SSS Group and monitored closely all the reports related to SSS Group found in the media and in the public domain.

We also followed the progress of the complaint against Sawit Mandiri Lestari through the RSPO Complaints procedure.

We met with the sustainability team of the company in April 2018.

May 2016
The RSPO Secretariat has sent a closure letter to the company on 24 May 2016. The case is now closed.

December 2016
The SSS Group has since sold Sawit Mandiri Lestari due to a delay in obtaining the necessary legal permit and licenses. We don’t have any business relationship with SSS group since 2014.

August 2017
The SSS Group published its No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation policy.

May 2018
The SSS group undertook assessments of the said areas and published a response here.