Jakarta, 7 October 2025 – Musim Mas Group reaffirms its commitment to sustainability by supporting the Indonesian government’s strategy to accelerate Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, particularly for independent smallholders who play a vital role in the national supply chain.
According to the Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture, as of July 2025, ISPO-certified oil palm plantations covered 7.21 million hectares, with only just over 69,200 hectares managed by independent smallholders. This shows that while smallholders are essential to Indonesia’s palm oil sector, their contribution to ISPO certification remains limited.
To help close this gap, Musim Mas has implemented its Independent Smallholders Program since 2015. The program provides training, technical guidance, and financial support to help smallholders adopt sustainable practices and obtain ISPO certification.
Since 2021, Musim Mas has helped almost 3,300 independent smallholders, covering over 7,800 hectares, to achieve ISPO certification—representing 11% of the national total for smallholders.
“Musim Mas is strongly committed to integrating independent smallholders into a more sustainable supply chain, and one way we achieve this is by supporting them to obtain ISPO certification. This also reflects our synergy with the government’s strategy to build a sustainable national palm oil industry,” said Rob Nicholls, Program & Project General Manager at Musim Mas.
Musim Mas facilitates ISPO certification through a comprehensive approach that includes technical assistance from field agronomists, support for the formation of farmer organizations, and coordination with local authorities, certification bodies, and other stakeholders. The company also helps prepare legal documents and production records required for certification.
To ensure long-term sustainability, Musim Mas conducts regular training on sustainable agricultural practices, occupational health and safety, and environmental management. The company also fully covers the cost of ISPO certification, removing financial barriers so smallholders can focus on improving their productivity and practices.
One smallholder who has benefitted is Lady Ardyanto from Rokan Hulu, Riau, who became ISPO-certified in 2021. “By applying better agricultural practices, such as proper fertilization, my plantation’s productivity has improved. I hope more farmers can benefit from Musim Mas’ support and simpler ISPO processes,” he said.
Musim Mas’ collaboration with the government demonstrates how private sector partnerships can accelerate ISPO certification, uplift smallholder livelihoods, and advance a more inclusive and sustainable palm oil industry for Indonesia’s future.
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About Musim Mas
Musim Mas Group is an integrated palm oil company globally, operating in 13 countries. From plantations, 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 palm oil producers in the world. The Group develops innovative value-added solutions for its customers, supported by Research and Development (R&D) centres in Singapore and 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.
A farmers association that obtained ISPO certification following Musim Mas’ support
