InfoSAWIT, SAMARINDA - East Kutai (Kutim) has taken strategic steps to achieve global sustainability standards in the palm oil sector. In a meeting with the USAID SEGAR team (The United States Agency for International Development – Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions) and the GIZ Sustain Consortium, Kutim's Regent, H. Ardiansyah Sulaiman, reaffirmed his commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – Jurisdictional Approach (RSPO-JA) certification. This program aims to position Kutim as a pioneer in sustainable development based on palm oil commodities.
The meeting, held in the Regent's office at the Kutim Government Center on Thursday, marked the beginning of strengthening synergy between local government, development partners, and palm oil industry players. The RSPO-JA approach aims to mitigate the negative impacts of palm oil plantations on the environment and communities by adhering to applicable global standards.
Regent Ardiansyah Sulaiman explained that this program aligns with Kutim's long-term development vision, "Kutai Timur Hebat 2045," focusing on advanced, inclusive, and sustainable natural resource downstreaming. One of the main commodities of focus is palm oil.
"We at the Kutim Government have initiated a grand design for agribusiness and agro-industry in the first RPJPD, with 70 percent already realized. Moving forward, Kutim must become a center for renewable natural resource downstreaming by 2045," he stated, as quoted by InfoSAWIT on Tuesday (December 24, 2024).
Ardiansyah added that the future of Kutim will heavily depend on sustainable natural resource management. "The palm oil plantations in Kutim are the largest in East Kalimantan, and if RSPO becomes the global standard, we must maximize it for the future of the region," he said.
Josi Khatarina, Environmental Governance Lead at USAID SEGAR, noted that Kutim has shown significant progress in its preparations for implementing RSPO-JA, even more advanced than other regions. Kutim is the second district in Indonesia to adopt this approach after Seruyan and the fourth in the world after Ecuador, Sabah, and Seruyan.
"One important step that has been taken is the mapping of ANKT (High Conservation Value Areas), which has been complemented with indicative maps. This shows that Kutim is more advanced than other regions," Josi explained.
The next phase involves business mapping, which includes data collection on farmers, suppliers, and buyers. This step will assist in the certification process, which will be conducted gradually. The implementation of RSPO-JA also supports the acceleration of ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certification at the national level.
As an initial step, the meeting concluded with the signing of a Letter of Intent between the local government and relevant partners. Various parties, including FORMIKA, BAPPEDA, DISBUN, and other technical regional organizations, were involved in this agenda.
With the implementation of RSPO-JA, Kutim's palm oil products are expected to compete in the global market while supporting sustainable development in the region. This step serves as an important foundation to realize Kutim's vision as a center for renewable natural resource downstreaming by 2045. (T2)