Through its Smallholders Program, Musim Mas also encourages smallholders to fulfill certification
Jakarta, 9 October 2023 – Palm oil and its derivatives have become essential commodities and a major contributor to Indonesia’s exports. However, the sector has been in the spotlight due to concerns over the risks of deforestation, forest degradation, and loss of biodiversity.
To address the issue, the Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, developed the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification standard in 2011 to ensure palm oil production in Indonesia is sustainable. ISPO certification is mandatory for all Palm Oil Plantation Business Actors and Planters. ISPO was also updated to include new benchmarks under Presidential Regulation 44 of 2020. This includes enhanced efforts to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions, improve environmental management and social protection, and increase the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil.
With its commitment to sustainability, Musim Mas Group achieved 100% ISPO certification for its 17 upstream subsidiaries last August.
“For Musim Mas, sustainability means responsibly providing high-quality and innovative palm oil products and derivatives. Together with stakeholders in this industry, we try to find the best solutions to address carbon gas emissions, biodiversity, and human rights, including workers’ rights. The ISPO certification that we received further strengthens our commitment to running our business following applicable laws,” said Olivier Tichit, Director of Sustainability for Musim Mas Group.
Beyond its own operations, Musim Mas also supports independent smallholders. Smallholders make up around 41% of oil palm planted areas, representing approximately 6.4 million hectares of land, and have a deadline of 2025 to gain ISPO certification but often lack the know-how and resources to produce sustainably.
To support them, Musim Mas leads Indonesia’s largest independent Smallholder Program to provide training on sustainable agricultural practices and encourage certification, helping them keep pace with local regulations and global standards. The program also includes modules that apply the principles and criteria of national certification to encourage them to participate in the audits needed to obtain certification.
Rudman Simanjuntak, Manager of Independent Smallholder Musim Mas Group, explained, “Independent smallholders are an important group that must be included in making sustainable palm oil the norm. We encourage and assist them in fulfilling the criteria required in the certification process. Through Musim Mas’ Smallholder Program, we ensure that no one is left behind in our journey towards a more sustainable palm oil industry.”
As of September 2023, Musim Mas’ Smallholders Program has trained over 41,900 independent smallholders throughout Indonesia. Of these, 1,959 farmers have successfully been ISPO certified.
Musim Mas’ Smallholders Program trains independent smallholders to implement good and sustainable agronomic practices and to obtain Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.
Musim Mas Group assists smallholders in obtaining ISPO certification through the Musim Mas Independent Smallholders program. As of September 2023, Musim Mas has assisted 1,959 smallholders to become ISPO-certified.
About Musim Mas
Musim Mas Group is an integrated palm oil company, operating in 13 countries. From plantations, to mills, refineries, kernel-crushing plants, oleochemicals, and specialty fats plants, Musim Mas manufactures palm oil products and value-added derivatives. Musim Mas is one of the largest domestic producers and exporters in Indonesia. Inter-Continental Oils and Fats (ICOF), a member of Musim Mas Group, undertakes global marketing activities.
The Group is committed to sustainability and was the first company with significant operations in Indonesia to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2004. Committed early to emissions reductions, Musim Mas is a signatory to the Agriculture Sector Roadmap to 1.5 Degrees convened by the Tropical Forest Alliance. The roadmap aims to halt commodity-linked deforestation in line with the 1.5-degree pathway while enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and supporting the sector’s transformation toward forest-positive land-use management. In January 2024, Musim Mas announced that it will strive to achieve net zero by 2050, aligning with climate science as per the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Musim Mas also manages the most extensive independent smallholder programs in Indonesia.
Musim Mas Contact Details
Email: communications@musimmas.com
Phone: (65) 6576 6500
Media Enquiries: (65) 9012 1582 (WhatsApp Calls only)
