Welcome to Indonesia Palm Oil Facts – a new web platform supported by the Indonesian Palm Oil Association dedicated to separating the facts from the fake news and false claims levelled at Indonesian palm oil.
Indonesia Palm Oil Facts will draw attention to the reality of the Indonesian palm oil sector including its productivity, sustainability, environmental advances and contribution to lifting millions of Indonesians out of poverty. The platform will also highlight Indonesia’s advances in good agricultural practices and sustainability standards that have made Indonesia the #1 global producer of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil.
Our new platform will be dedicated to:
- Promoting the facts of Indonesian palm oil’s recent advances in protecting the environment;
- Supporting on-ground efforts to combat deforestation that are in line with Indonesia’s development goals;
- Countering European government-funded attacks against the Indonesian palm oil sector and government;
- Debunking the anti-palm oil campaigns of unscrupulous NGOs and
- Highlighting the importance of small farmers in the palm oil supply chain.
Indonesia’s Commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Too often in rich parts of the world, they have forgotten about their commitments to and the importance of attaining the UNs’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite this, Indonesia remains focused on achieving the SDGs, and believes the palm oil sector provides a vital vehicle to achieving that goal. The Indonesian palm oil community contributes positively to all 17 of the UN SDGs, under the three major themes:
- Prosperous: Indonesian palm oil is committed to creating prosperous communities that alleviate poverty and provide new economic opportunities for the next generation.
- Responsible: Indonesian palm oil is committed to promoting responsibly produced palm oil, and encouraging innovation to develop best-in-class agricultural practices.
- Sustainable: Indonesian palm oil is committed to promoting sustainability through its production of its own sustainability certification (ISPO), while working in collaboration with the government and NGOs standards elsewhere.
The #1 Sustainable Choice
The facts are clear. Indonesia’s advances in good agricultural practices and sustainability standards have made Indonesia the #1 Sustainable Choice.
- Sustainable: The Indonesian government and palm oil community are committed to producing 100% sustainable palm oil under the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) initiative, which will be the world’s largest-ever sustainability scheme. ISPO includes requirements on social responsibility, health, safety and employment conditions, as well as protections in place for the environment, natural resources, biodiversity and protected species.
- Environmental Protection: Last year, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, renewed the moratorium on new licenses for oil palm expansion for another three years, a major environmental commitment.
- Orangutan: Indonesia has more orangutans than any country on Earth, and is committed to protecting this iconic species. Orangutans are protected under Indonesian law, and conservation programs mean that population numbers are stable. Over 100,000 orangutans live in Indonesia’s Kalimantan state alone.
- Land Use: Indonesian palm oil has a significantly lower environmental footprint than other commodities, including beef and soy. Even the European Commission admits this fact in their report, “The impact of EU consumption on deforestation: Comprehensive analysis of the impact of EU consumption on deforestation“, which was published in 2013.
- Efficiency: Oil palm cultivation has the lowest impact on land use of all oilseeds: it requires 10 times less land area than soybean for equal production.
- Deforestation: The scare stories about forests in Indonesia are untrue. The recently published United Nations FAO Report “Forest Resources Assessment for 2020 (FRA 2020)” confirms that deforestation rates have declined significantly in Indonesia, and Indonesia remains one of the most-forested countries in the world.
Stay tuned for updates and more information about Indonesian palm oil.
Twitter: @IndonesiaPalm