Margonda

 

Margonda,

Dadanya ditembus peluru Nika

Pada bulan Nopember 1945

Ia gugur sebagai pahlawan bangsa

 

Dengan nama marganya ia dilahirkan di Bogor

Dan dengan pasukannya ia bertempur di Depok

Daerah yang waktu itu tidak mau mengakui RI

Dan mengaku sebagai daerah berdiri sendiri

 

Margonda,

Teguh pendiriannya dan pemberani

Didadanya berkobar semangat proklamasi

Seakan-akan ia ingin berkata “Siapa yang tidak mengakui RI

Ia akan berhadapan dengan pasukan kami”

 

Percaya diri kendati senjata pasukan hasil usaha masing-masing

Entah itu senjata api, samurai atau bambu runcing

Bagi mereka rela berkorban jiwa raga, itulah yang penting

Agar Indonesia tidak dijajah bangsa asing

 

Margonda,

Dibakar semangat proklamasi

Ia dan pasukannya maju bertarung di medan tempur

Maju, terus maju, walau maut akan menanti

Bagi Republik Indonesia semangat mereka tak pernah mengendur

 

Pasukan merayap di antara belukar yang kelu

Margonda yang berada di tengah, maju terlebih dahulu

Sambil berjongkok dan pistol di tangan kanannya ia isyarati agar sayap

Kanan maju

Kemudian, sayap kiri pun ia isyarati untuk maju

 

Menjelang petang,

Dengan formasi satu saf, pasukan siap menyerbu

Belukar terkulai angin tidak berlalu

Tiap-tiap anggota pasukan menahan nafas masing-masing sambil berdoa

Menunggu komando dari Margonda

 

Nyala dan kilat api yang menyembur dari moncong-moncong senapan lawan

Sama sekali tidak akan mereka hiraukan

Yang mereka akan dengar letusan pistol ke udara disertai teriakan “Serang!”

Dan semburan timah panas pun akan mereka terjang

 

Margonda,

Sambil berteriak “merdeka”pasukan Margonda menyerang

Bambu runcing mengacung, senjata api menyalak dan samurai berkelabatan

Sebagian pasukan musuh lari lintang pukang

Meninggalkan temannya yang tewas dan pertahanan yang berantakan

 

Margonda

Beberapa anggota pasukannya gugur

Dan ia sendiri turut gugur

Maka pada hari itu menangislah ibu pertiwi

Dan diantar malaikat arwah mereka menghadap Ilahi

Margonda ….

Penulis; Ruchiyat Hamid 

Catatan;

Nika (NICA) Netherland Indies Civil Administration, Pemerintah Belanda ketika kembali ke Indonesia

     Waktu Bangun Pagi di RS

      

      Dari hari kehari

Darah dan air nutrisi menetes dari tabung plastic putih

Lalu mengaliri urat-urat tubuhku yang sepi

Bagai penggali tambang yang menelusuri perut bumi

 

Aku terbaring diatas tempat tidur yang setia menemani

Nafas-nafas lemah yang kulepaskan sepanjang hari

Duduk berjuntai dirimbun pohon sambil menyapa angin yang asyik menyanyi

”Angin adakah kau dengar pesan illahi ?”

 

Di kamar putih RS ini

Kuresapi belai kasih Mu wahai Yang Maha Pengasih

Lewat dokter dan perawat yang berdedikasi

Lewat keluarga dan orang-orang yang beramal saleh

 

Pandanganku yang kabur berangsur terang

Kulihat orang-orang disekitar tersenyum riang

Kukira Izrafil telah terbang, lalu menghilang

 

Maka puji syukur menyembur keluar

„Ya Allah, Engkau telah datangkan para penolongku“

Engkau tidak perintahkan Izrafil menebas nyawaku

Maka segala puji hanyalah bagi Mu.

 

      Ruchiyat Hamid 

The Effect of Ineffective Fertilization In Oil Palm Smallholder Land

 

Oil palm smallholders play a crucial role in the production of palm oil in Indonesia, one of the world's largest palm oil producing countries. However, the careless or ineffective use of fertilizers by smallholders can have significant impacts on the soil carrying capacity to grow and produce oil palm in the long term. In this article, we will explore the impacts of careless or ineffective fertilization on oil palm smallholder plantations and the importance of sustainable soil management practices.

One of the main impacts of careless or ineffective fertilization on oil palm smallholder plantations is soil degradation. Overuse of chemical fertilizers can lead to soil acidification, loss of soil organic matter, reduced soil biodiversity, and decreased soil fertility. Soil degradation can have a range of negative impacts on crop yields and soil productivity, leading to reduced profitability for smallholder farmers in the long term.

In addition, careless or ineffective fertilization can also lead to nutrient leaching and groundwater contamination. When fertilizers are applied in excess or at inappropriate times, they can leach into nearby waterways and contaminate groundwater. This can have negative impacts on water quality and can also harm aquatic ecosystems and wildlife.

Furthermore, the use of chemical fertilizers in oil palm smallholder plantations can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The production and use of chemical fertilizers require significant amounts of energy, and the application of these fertilizers can lead to emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

To mitigate these negative impacts, it is important for oil palm smallholders to adopt sustainable soil management practices that prioritize soil health and productivity. This includes using integrated nutrient management approaches, incorporating organic fertilizers, and minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers.

Integrated nutrient management involves the use of a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers to maintain soil fertility and support crop growth. Organic fertilizers, such as compost and manure, can help improve soil structure, increase soil organic matter content, and support the growth of soil microorganisms. Inorganic fertilizers can be used in combination with organic fertilizers to provide additional nutrients and support crop growth.

In addition, smallholder farmers can also adopt practices such as intercropping, crop rotation, and agroforestry to improve soil health and maintain long-term productivity. These practices can help reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure, and support soil biodiversity.

In conclusion, the careless or ineffective use of fertilizers by oil palm smallholders can have significant impacts on soil carrying capacity and long-term productivity. To ensure the sustainability of oil palm smallholder plantations, it is important for farmers to adopt sustainable soil management practices that prioritize soil health, reduce negative impacts on the environment, and maintain long-term productivity.

(Dani Rahadian P. Hidayat) 

Self-reliance KUD Karya Mandiri Cooperative to Achieve Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil for Independent  Smallholder Certificate

By Dani Rahadian P. Hidayat

 

Agus Purwanto raises his hand and asks whether his cooperative could follow Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification for independent oil palm smallholders. The 50 years old cooperative manager was curiously searching for more information on the sustainable certification scheme. He contemplated his cooperative member future while he has participated in SNV (Netherland Development Organization)  training which was discussing farmer organization and sustainable practices.

Village Cooperative Unit (KUD) Karya Mandiri – the cooperative which Agus manages - is located in Tri Mulya Jaya Village, about 2 hours drive from the city of Jambi. Karya Mandiri has been set up since  2001, with its 292 smallholder farmer members and 625 hectares of land. Their main source of income is generated from oil palm fruit productions.

There are some business units that flourished in supporting the oil palm production unit. You may name it; fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides,  tools, and equipment.  But Agus think that he has to make sure the business should grow and be capable to compete. He is eagerly in favor to expand the cooperative membership. Since there are many independent oil palm smallholder farmers that have not capable to reach proper services in providing support for their oil palm production.

Internal control system (ICS) is one crucial pillar in making sure the smallholder farmers complying sustainability standards. These new structures under the cooperative will can also function as oil palm smallholder hubs in the region. There are some newborn villages nearby Karya Mandiri where it is dominated by a lot of beginner oil palm independent smallholder farmers who operates their plot individually. Agus intended to embrace these individual smallholders as part of his farmer organization.

KUD Karya Mandiri’s mandate confines within village administrative boundaries. They cannot operate and deliver services exceeding its boundary. While group certification’s internal control system can be flexible and they can operate beyond an administrative limit. The ICS may involve the spread out farmers into their group certification members.

This has created a way out to embrace all independent oil palm smallholders, regardless of their domicile, to receive services and benevolences in supporting their agriculture business. Agus has concerted his intention to set up a group certification ICS and pursue RSPO certification as a stepwise toward better livelihood for his member and surrounding smallholder farmers.

Seeking Support

SNV Indonesia has a program to improve the independent oil palm smallholder agriculture practices and strengthen farmer organization which setting up an internal control system (ICS). These pieces of training are required by the sustainable certification scheme in complying with some of its aspects related to environmental, social, and economic practices. These are golden opportunities for KUD Karya Mandiri to trigger their member motivation in pursuing the certification.

Agus and his cooperatives staff were holding in-depth discussions during one of SNV’s ICS and cooperative training. It has been becoming clear for him and the rest of the KUD organizers that they need some capital in pursuing RSPO certification. Human, financial, social, physical,  and natural capital are needed in paving the way toward sustainable practices compliance.

They have to map the road and unpack the resources that they already have within their farmer organization. Human and financial capital is the biggest challenge for KUD Karya Mandiri to transform their practices. While SNV Indonesia support is very limited up to oil palm BMP, social impact assessment,  ICS, and cooperative training and coaching activities. Whilst, it is a major undertaking to bring all their cooperative member switching their oil palm practices. They need to strengthen their capital.

Agus and the rest of the cooperative finally come up with the decision that they will try to transform the practices through complying with RSPO requirements. They brought it to the cooperative supervisory board. The idea to strengthen the cooperative’s 5 capitals especially human and financial aspects will require investment priority. The board should approve this new investment priority in order to accommodate cooperative managers' decision to pursue RSPO certification.

It is kind of “Russian Roulette”, yet not sure when you pull the trigger. The ultimate goal set is able to gain a positive margin from selling the RSPO certificate to the buyer. It is to cover the certification cost and future maintenance. Thus, there are some steps that Karya Mandiri should take. First, KUD Karya Mandiri has to pass the main audit, second, they have to sell all of their RSPO credits, and third, the price should be significantly more than their cost.  

The advisory board has agreed that KUD Karya Mandiri will fully finance the RSPO compliance cost. Agus will ask SNV to strengthen its human capital to master RSPO requirements. Karya Mandiri will also ask a local NGO based in Jambi Alam Hijau Indonesia (AHI) to provide man power support.

Once SNV and AHI agreed to support KUD Karya Mandiri thus it is time for Agus and his comrades to spin the magazine. Investment is ready to roll out, the confidence and guts were nailed into their hearts in order to move forward. There was no chance to retreat once the money and time have been spent.

KUD Karya Mandiri ICS, SNV, and AHI staff have been working together. It was starting from a prudent planning development - each penny counts - through intensive focus group discussion. They have been assigning each person based on expertise. Everybody involved should be reliable since KUD Karya Mandiri's investment is neither cheap nor easy. Agus and his comrade should present and be responsible before the shareholders -which is the cooperative member- for each rupiah spent for RSPO certification compliance.

Their career and cooperative member shares are at stake. They must pass the aforementioned 3 steps otherwise they will all go ruined. The stepping ladder should be strong, there is no room for mistakes. Agus can not afford to jeopardize his farmer organization if they failed to gain RSPO certification and are unable to sell their future certificate credit at a decent price.

Strategy

A prudent budget spending through an efficient and cost-effective approach is a basis for KUD Karya Mandiri to roll out the action. While SNV staff  -Adhe Ferdiansyah-  provide sharp guidance and monitoring along with the effort of Karya Mandiri ICS and AHI staff synergistic to adopt and implement RSPO standard compliance.

SNV, Karya Mandiri managers, and AHI regularly conduct a monthly evaluation, they were seeing whether the action taken is on the right track to fulfill the cost-effective reference. Time precision is also crucial in Karya Mandiri's effort in complying with RSPO standards. They have to avoid any delay due to many causes in each criteria compliance. Since it will impact their cost spent, thus maintaining compliance quality is inevitable.

This process has become an important part of the SNV coaching approach to KUD Karya Mandiri. Although it is beyond SNV signed deliverable to their donor. it is considered as project outcome from the intervention in making sure the oil palm best management practices, social and environmental impact assessment, and cooperative internal control system knowledge and skills are adopted and implemented.   

SNV has been forging Karya Mandiri ICS managers in elaborating the planning, action, monitoring, and evaluation to transform their conventional to sustainable practices. We guide the smallholder to step in the thin line where their career and shares are at stake. It is completely a business risk for KUD Karya Mandiri when they have to decide and lead the RSPO certification process without external funding supports. They should pay almost most of their expenses (thanks to RSPO Smallholder Support Fund who granted funds to cover audit costs).

The constant pressure received by all parties involved will fruiting a more mature attitude on how to maintain the certification and furthermore to jump into the new risky innovation in the future. Strengthening the 5 capitals of KUD Karya Mandiri and its members are also the tactic taken to fulfill their transformation. Cohesiveness and trust are also the modalities that need to be maintained in facing pressure resilience.

This resilience has made KUD Karya Mandiri ICS become stronger and self-reliant. It is an important part of the adoption process especially in implementing sustainable practices. It will also give rise to ICS on their capability in applying proper planning, organizing, action, and control measures.

Audit

Finally, KUD Karya Mandiri invited the RSPO certification body - Mutu Agung Lestari - to conduct the main audit. There are  Internal Control systems, SNV, and AHI staff present during the audit process. Agus and his comrades were facilitating the auditors during inspecting RSPO criteria compliance.  

The audit had been conducted from 30 August - 2 September 2021, Mutu Agung Lestari’s auditors were checking all RSPO requirements profoundly. It was started from document checking and field verification. The 3 sustainability aspects were challenged, where environmental, social, and economic implementation as well as its proof.

Mutu Agung Lestari auditor finally completed their task to audit KUD Karya Mandiri RSPO compliance. Surprisingly, there were not any signs of noncompliance finding which theoretically they have passed the audit already. Agus's effort in bringing his farmer organization and its member to transform toward sustainability practices has materialized.

His determination and confidence have defeated his hesitation doubt. The ability to knit the intertwined interest through strengthening and utilizing the organization and his community group livelihood capital has fruited a good result. Agus and KUD Karya Mandiri will enter a new chapter as sustainable farmer groups who willfully implement RSPO standards during managing their oil palm business operation.    

 

Indonesian Smallholders First in the World to be Certified Under New RSPO Standard

News  21 October 2020

Jakarta, 21 October 2020: Today, a group of 30 independent smallholders who manage 130 hectares of oil palm under KUD Mitra Bersama, in South Sumatra, became the first independent smallholder group to be certified under the newly adopted RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard. 

Certification Body, Mutuagung Lestari, recently completed the audit for this smallholder group, while upholding the relevant Covid-19 procedures to ensure the health and safety of all involved. They approved the group’s RSPO ISH certification for the ‘Eligibility’ phase, which enables the group to allocate 40% of its production volume of fresh fruits bunches as RSPO Independent Smallholder Credits, traded via the RSPO PalmTrace platform.

RSPO’s Indonesia Country Director, Tiur Rumondang, said “This new standard serves as an important foundation in RSPO’s movement to transform markets while ensuring the inclusion  of smallholders, and I am  thrilled that Indonesian smallholders are the first in the world to attain this major achievement - congratulations KUD Mitra Bersama!”

KUD Mitra Bersama was supported through a project run by RSPO member, Louis Dreyfus Company in collaboration with the Louis Dreyfus Foundation and Dutch non-profit organisation SNV, providing financial and capacity building support, including training on certification and good agricultural practices relating to palm oil grading, harvesting and transport, maintenance, plantation assessment, responsible use of fertilisers, and pest and disease management.

“Due to low yields, smallholder palm growers often have limited means to invest in sustainable agriculture. Struggling to meet the complex requirements of certification, they risk exclusion from the supply chains of companies committed to sourcing certified products,” said Rubens Marques, Indonesia CEO at Louis Dreyfus Company. “We are therefore extremely pleased and proud to see this farming community, with which we have worked since 2019, become the first smallholder cooperative to access RSPO ISH certification, an achievement that we hope will pave the way for many more smallholders - in Indonesia and elsewhere - to embark on the journey toward more sustainable supply chains.”

RSPO Head of Smallholder Programme, Ashwin Selvaraj, added, “The adopted RSPO ISH Standard is an opportunity to further bring about a systemic, sustainable change that considerably improves the welfare of smallholders globally, and we are also seeing positive impacts with groups in Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico, who are ready to be audited.”

The RSPO ISH Standard certification scheme consists of three phases: ‘Eligibility’, ‘Milestone A’ and ‘Milestone B’, each with specific claims that smallholders can make about their production, and corresponding benefits for the producer. A field audit takes place at each phase, assessing specific compliance requirements. 

To progress to the next phase, the KUD Mitra Bersama smallholder group will need to demonstrate further improvements to meet the next milestone indicators, while maintaining compliance with existing ‘Eligibility’ phase criteria. 

KUD Mitra Bersama’s Group Manager, Nyoman Sucipta, said the training they received from SNV on implementing the ISH Standard not only taught them about sustainable oil palm cultivation, but supported the group’s efficiency in production costs, allowing them to save more of their income.

“This process helped us learn about recording fruit transactions, developing standard operating procedures, and establishing an Internal Control System (ICS), which are all key elements of the standard. Together with the management of KUD Mitra Bersama, I am happy and proud to be the first group to achieve this milestone towards RSPO ISH certification, and we are committed to continuing the certification process to the next stage of Milestone A and Milestone B,”  he said.

The RSPO ISH Standard was adopted at the 16th annual General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand  in November 2019. The standard aims to increase the inclusion of smallholders into the RSPO system through a mechanism which takes into consideration the diversity in challenges and situations faced by smallholders globally, together with their varying needs and concerns, while adhering to the key pillars of RSPO’s Theory of Change (ToC): Prosperity, People and Planet.

Source:https://rspo.org/news-and-events/news/indonesian-smallholders-first-in-the-world-to-be-certified-under-new-rspo-standard

 

Environmental Services Trade Off Mechanism to Save High Conservation and Carbon Values in Palm Oil Smallholder Land

Dani Rahadian P. Hidayat

 

The world population has been increasing rapidly in line with the rising demand for food. Vegetable oil is one of the demands that the global communities required significantly utmost during the last few decades. This has been creating ample job opportunities, poverty alleviation, and economic growth. Although it has spurred criticism about the massive tropical forest conversion to develop more palm oil plantations.

About 50 % of the worldwide oil palm plantation is managed by smallholders. Thus, they also contribute to either the positive or negative impact of palm oil production and expansion. The smallholder has predominated the palm oil land about 4 % contract scheme and 38 % independent smallholders in Indonesia. The contract scheme was part of the government support program through the nucleus and plasma scheme while the independent smallholder was non-binding to any programs and merely self-initiated to develop palm oil.

The contract scheme development was very limited where it relies on government initiation and support. Most of the program has been terminated and future expansion is hardly to perpetuate due to lack of land and budget allocation. However, the scheme smallholder palm oil trees have mostly reached their production span and it requires to be replanted. Since there is not any government program available thus some will replant their plot independently and those who still connected the mill partner will have some opportunities to continue their contract scheme program.

Contradictory with the independent smallholder where they have more freedom to expand more land for palm oil. They can develop more plantations as long as financially sufficient and land is available.  The smallholder palm expansion will also give rise to the risks of deforestation.

They are also required to minimize the loss of biodiversity and carbon emission.  Several tools are available to conserve biodiversity and cultural values through the High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) approach, storing more carbon biomass through High Carbon Stock (HCS). Although, there is a need to have profound simple guidance for the smallholder to utilize those tools.

Most smallholder in Indonesia has only 2 hectares of land in average. It differs from the big growers where they allow to use the land utilize right that reach hundreds of thousand hectares. Although, the smallholder receives land property right ownership the size is limited and small.

Since the existing large number of smallholders and its potency of expansion are widely open. Thus, the risk of deforestation is also raising. Reversely, the land property right ownership has given the opportunity to the smallholder to utilize their land as they like. This includes converting any forest stand if it sits above a smallholder’s property.

Sustainability standard such Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is one of the toolkit packages to transform palm oil producers to minimize environmental and social impact while boosting their economic level. However, the smallholder who has the land of high conservation value and high carbon stock will lose the opportunity to gain tangible economic values.

High conservation values forest has 6 values such as; (i) biodiversity protection, (ii) Large forest areas (iii) fragile ecosystem (iv) environmental services (v) livelihood dependency upon non-forest timber product (vi) cultural and heritages. Whilst, high carbon stock defines as land with abundant carbon stock stored in the trees and other vegetation. The landowners could generate those environmental services to contribute to the worldwide beneficiaries where its benefit will depend on the demand of each individual or organization.

Each conservation value has its own specific environmental services. This specification will fulfill the demand of the respective beneficiary's interest. Whether, the conservation of endangered species, fragile ecosystem, our unique cultures and heritage. Climate change disasters due to the global warming impact will impose fear among some of the human population. Thus, high carbon stock derived from vast areas of standing trees will produce services to reduce emissions.

The landowners producing these environmental services through setting aside their land for conservation will bear some opportunity losses. Furthermore, this set-aside land should be managed in order to maintain and enhance the values and services. The landlord will also bear the opportunity cost in managing the lands.

These environmental services should be monetized due to cope with the opportunity losses and costs. The landowner will make the basis of their decision whether to set aside their land for preservation through cost and benefit analysis. It relates to their subsistence characteristic where their livelihood dependency on natural resources is quite high.

RSPO standard was set up and promoted through a market-driven approach. It required practices that respect environmental, social, and economic considerations. It will transform the palm oil growers' practices in order to meet market expectations for sustainable palm oil products.

It is expecting through the standard implementation will ease the earth's burden due to massive exploitation. Thus, individuals or organizations enjoy the environmental services provided by the landowner willing to compensate and pay for these services. This will be part of the values offset which embedded into the sustainable oil palm product.

The beneficiaries will select which values that they can pay and how much.  Whilst, the supply chain actant could elaborate on the mechanism on how this payment can be made and distribute to the landowners. The environmental services trade-off mechanism will accommodate the landowner to make a decision whether setting aside the forest land is economically feasible for their livelihood.

Certified RSPO product supply chains may accommodate these conservation values to be transmitted along its chains. Where the customers or merely the beneficiaries may also pay those values in order to compensate for the opportunity loss and cost of the landowner. It may prevail for a certain duration of time since the opportunity losses and cost will be measured for a limited period of time.

The environmental services offset mechanism will create a driver tool for the landowner to produces the values through land preservation. There will be supply and demand upon intangible products where there should some beneficiary’ representative willing to pay for the product. Monetizing environmental services are required to feed the benefit-cost analysis of the landowner.

Creating an environmental services trade-off mechanisms is one tool to make way for oil palm producers to contribute to reducing the environmental risks. Both producers' and beneficiaries greater role and willingness to pay are also crucial to operate the precedented mechanism. Sustainable standards and its inspection mechanism will significantly guarantee the services' product quality. This would create trust in both producers and the customers.     

 

Palm Oil Packed in All Groceries Stalls

Dani Rahadian P Hidayat

There are several groceries store around my home, where there some neighbor has been opening up wet vegetable stalls, national mini market retailer chains such as Alfamart and Indomaret or simply a home snack and goodies stalls. They serve the daily consumption need of surrounding neighborhood where similar business activities have been erected in an around dense population a big municipalities in Indonesia such as East Jakarta with the population density reaches 16,924 person / km2 or  Depok West java 10,255 person / km2.

Instant noodles, biscuits, cosmetics, and other goodies that you can name it. The all packed in the shelves ready to be picked up and consumed. It is society's daily economic activities supported by routine consumption. There would be a large number of ingredients to make such food and goodies over time.

Agriculture, husbandry, aquaculture is among the sources of the raw material. Yet, fat and oil are the outweigh ingredient to make most of these foods and cosmetics products. Cost is one of the most crucial considerations when the investor producing these materials. Which product sources underpinned that interest?

Vegetable oil considered most efficient since it can be harvested massively, intensively, and renewable. There are some commodities such as palm oil, soybean, corn, and others. However, palm oil is considered as the most efficient and versatile oil. The palm oil production can reach 3 to 4 times other vegetable oil.

Such production rates have attracted many manufactures to sources palm oil as their main ingredient. Besides the more efficient, the palm oil has several superiorities compare with their competitors in specific products such as peanut butter or chocolate jam. It has made palm oil has become one of the favorite choices.            

The palm oil is being produced by either big or small growers. The plantation is mostly located in several islands namely Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua were categorized as some of the largest islands in Indonesia. There are plenty of lands available to accommodate large oil palm plantation development although these plantation expansions have raised some concern regarding environmental disturbances.

Those island has been well known as the last remaining natural forest reserves for decades. Unfortunately, those forest areas have been gradually depleted due to expansion and conversion. The biodiversity losses have become a nightmare from this process.

The rich biodiversity natural forest losses have induced the evaporation of carbon to the atmosphere and created a climate change in the end. This has led to the fear of future catastrophic among people and deems the conversion of existing natural forest as one of the triggered. However, it is whether just the vilified story has been made or factual prove. Since some smear stories and also real ground photos have been both taken massively.

Anyhow, there is some initiative to meet a win-win result that has been elaborated. These formed as verifiable certification scheme. Named them such Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), International Sustainable Carbon & Certification (ISCC) or even national Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO). They required the oil palm growers complying with their set standard, where it covers environmental, social, and economic aspects.

The standard was being set either by the multi-stakeholder working group and it is becoming a normative approach standard (RSPO) or government coercive certification scheme (ISPO and ISCC).   Those sustainability standard responsibilities must be transferred along with the supply chain actors. Nevertheless, it should be bear from the very bottom of upstream such as the smallholder farmers, then it is flowing through the groove of supply chains channel until it reached the downstream actant.

The smallholder farmers should implement environmentally sound practices including no deforestation acts, respect for indigenous or local aspects also to improve their agriculture practices. It was wrapped up in requirement standards. These sustainable practices as part of certification criteria applied to the smallholder farmers.

The sustainable cycle process will finally end up at some of the groceries stall and franchise mini markets around my home. Although, we rarely hear or sees if there are some eco-sensitive customers in Indonesia. It seems that there are more price-sensitive consumers in developing nations such as here. Although, it will target some developed countries market at least for this point in time. However, we are expecting it will be packed toward sustainability product consumers given the rise in the future.