According to rri.co.id, WWF-Indonesia and the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 18 Sep 2026 at Pullman Thamrin Jakarta, launching a strategic partnership to strengthen sustainable commodity systems and global market recognition.
Green Partnership Focus Areas
The initiative, branded “Green Partnership”, prioritizes supply chain transparency, certification, responsible production, biodiversity conservation, and inclusive participation of independent smallholder farmers. CPOPC supports improved sustainability governance across its member countries, while WWF-Indonesia contributes technical expertise to advance traceability, certification frameworks, and socially and environmentally sound production practices.
Commodity sustainability is framed as essential for biodiversity protection—particularly habitat preservation, sustainable production landscapes, and balanced environmental and social outcomes. A central objective is reinforcing the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard within global sustainability frameworks to enhance its credibility and competitiveness in world markets. The partnership also aligns with Indonesia’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), targeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 31.89% by 2030 unilaterally—and up to 43.20% with international support.
Leadership Perspectives
Aditya Bayunanda, CEO of WWF-Indonesia, emphasized that sustainable plantation commodities are not merely supply chain concerns but vital instruments for conserving Indonesia’s biodiversity. He stressed the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration—including producer nations, businesses, certification bodies, civil society, smallholders, and global markets—to ensure production occurs without deforestation, biodiversity loss, or violations of smallholder rights and livelihoods.
“For us, this partnership is crucial to drive sustainability in both consumer and producer countries—from supply chain transparency to support for small-scale farmers.” — Aditya Bayunanda, CEO of WWF-Indonesia
Izzana Salleh, Secretary-General of CPOPC, affirmed that palm oil-producing countries and industry stakeholders have made significant progress through large-scale investments in sustainability, human rights protection, and livelihood improvements. She acknowledged persistent gaps—especially ensuring smallholders possess the resources, capacity, and opportunity to fully engage in sustainable supply chains—and underscored that the MoU with WWF-Indonesia enables meaningful, inclusive action through combined expertise and networks.
Actionable Next Steps
Following the MoU signing, WWF-Indonesia, CPOPC, and Competere jointly hosted the webinar “Leave No Smallholder Behind: Making EUDR Compliance an Opportunity for Inclusive Development”. It addressed structural challenges for smallholders under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), including geolocation, traceability, and documentation requirements.
The event featured firsthand insights from independent smallholder representatives: Rukaiyah Rafik of Fortasbi Indonesia and Muhammad Shofi Bin Mustapa of NASH Malaysia. Subsequent sessions explored enabling support systems for inclusive transition, with input from Solidaridad Europe, Borneo Futures, Ferrero, and the Indonesian Independent Smallholder Farmers’ Representative. WWF-Indonesia also advances complementary tools—including the Hamurni traceability application and the “buy right” campaign—to promote deforestation-free, legally compliant production and protect forest ecosystems from floods and fires affecting local communities and protected wildlife.
Source: rri.co.id
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
