InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Widya Erti Indonesia (WEI), the partner of Unilever, took part in "Smallholders Farm Visit and Program Discussion" in District of Simalungun and City of Medan, North Sumatera Province on Wednesday, 17 October 2023.
Vice President and Managing Director - Climate and Nature Fund, Unilever, Eric Soubeiran did attend the event to witness how WEI and other partners developed the smallholders.
As one partner of Unilever, WEI highly committed to develop local smallholders’ groups about implementing the good agricultural practices. The main focus of WEI is not only agriculture but also empowering kelompok wanita tani (KWT). The organization manages KWT to develop innovative products from the local materials, such as, banana, cassava, coconut, and palm oil sticks.
These initiatives created not only additional economic values but also opened new chances for KWT to actively contribute in their families’ economy.
"In WEI we believe that female empowerment and sustainable agricultural development should run as same as developing stronger and more independent communities. Through the initiatives, there would be chances for the female in the villages to get better future in their families while promoting natural resource uses which are circular,” Executive Director WEI, Wiranatha Krisna said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Wednesday (15/11/2023).
WEI also focuses on the circular economy. It is proven by the successful strategic implementation to process palm oil leaves to be animal woof and then substituted to be organic materials to be spread in agricultural areas. The approach created profitable and environmental supply chain.
Wiranatha also appreciated the established cooperation and collaboration to keep developing and encouraging marginal communities and villages. “We are enthusiastic to continue the cooperation and hope to get more initiatives among Unilever, WEI, and other smallholders that focus on people’s empowerment,” Krisna said.
In the activity, a discussion between Unilever and smallholders managed important dialogue about how Unilever helped the smallholders to realize responsible agriculture for now and the future. (T2)
