InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – On 18 November 2024, Indonesia would celebrate Hari Sawit Nasional that means it would be 113 years of palm oil industrial journey in Indonesia. Since the first commercial planting in 1911 by Europe businessman in Pulau Raja, Regency of Asahan, North Sumatera Province, until now Indonesia has become the biggest palm oil producer in the world with the trade that reached 55%. In 2022, palm oil contributed in export revenue up to Rp 600 trillion and involved about 16 million workers in 160 regencies and tens of thousands of villages.
But behind the successful palm oil industries, there comes the social responsibility that also gets more massive. In 2021, Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) launched SIRA (Sawit Indonesia Ramah Anak). This is about to confirm that there would be no child involved in palm oil industries.
Sumarjono Saragih, Chairman of IPOA in Human Resource Development and also as the Chairman Founder WISPO (Worker Initiatives for Sustainable Palm Oil) said the this would be about to respect, protect and fulfil the children’s rights as same as the legal that forbids the children to work.
“The good practices in SIRA cover the child care, association, school bus, health services, plantation health center, and schools around palm oil plantations. Every initiative is taken as the significant modal to prepare the children as the golden generations in the rural,” Saragih said in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Thursday (31/10/2024).
To reinforce this movement, IPOA conducted workshop and seminar with the theme "Sawit Indonesia Ramah Anak" in 15 branch provinces. The event was once conducted in Papua in June 2024, with the theme "Papua Emas 2045 Bersama Sawit." It was the same with the event in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan Province on 22 - 24 October 2024 and the other provinces would be too.
Palm oil industries are committed not only to obey the legal but also would realize the responsibility and contribution in the national scale – agenda of Indonesia Emas 2045. By SIRA, palm oil industries should be the place for the golden generations to support and make Indonesia go forward and be socially fair. It is hoped the child friendly – practices would happen in every community namely in the rural to create the better generations in the future. (T2)