A global palm oil industry watchdog is planning a separate standard for smallholders to help them adopt sustainable practices and get green certification, the Indonesian director of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) said. Smallholders account for 40% of Indonesia’s 14 million hectares of palm plantations, and are often blamed for practices such as burning to clear land, causing forest fires. Small Indonesia farmers generally suffer low productivity due to the use of poor-quality palm seeds and substandard farming practices. Farmers would still have to comply with rules such as when teenaged family members work, they should not do so during school time and only for a certain amount of time per day. The RSPO will also allow farmers to enjoy the benefits of certification as soon as they confirm the legality of their land ownership. Access to the RSPO credits would help farmers to finance further audits needed for the certification. For Bambang Gianto, a farmer in South Sumatra, getting certified did not guarantee better pricing for palm fruits, but the improved methods made his output jump by up to 20 percent.

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Source: Reuters, www.reuters.com