InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - To deliver adjusted field data, Unilever and Meridia managed smallholders’ plantation data to get Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification and as one condition in European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Unilever, as one founder of RSPO, has conducted strategic partnership with agritech company, Meridia to get smallholders’ palm oil plantation map in the field. The collaboration reflected the same commitment to reinforce sustainable and responsible supply chain.

By taking advantages on the skills of Meridia to gather and verify field data, the initiative would enable to integrate smallholders in RSPO certification process and make them as integral part of supply chain in Unilever.

As quoted from the official page of RSPO, Meridia directly cooperated with smallholders to map their plantations by getting their approval and collect crucial field data to determine their worthiness to get RSPO certificate.

Until now the initiative successfully mapped 28 thousand smallholders in Aceh, North Sumatera, and Riau. Besides facilitating RSPO certification process, the collaboration would help to get basic data that would deliver deeper insight about the smallholders’ real social and economic condition.

The collaboration is about to confirm environmental sustainability and escalate the smallholders’ capability to survive to climate change, contribute to their obedience on EUDR. It means, the initiative would deliver sustainable access to European countries and confirm that palm oil products would qualify the available sustainable standards. (T2)

Source: Majalah InfoSAWIT, May 2024