Personal care giant Henkel and chemicals company BASF have come together with development organization Solidaridad in a project that sets out to help 5,000 smallholdings in Indonesia.
According to the company, when renewable raw materials such as palm oil and palm kernel oil are used, the main focus is on economic, environmental and social impacts along the entire supply chain – from field to shelf.
Through the project ‘Solidaridad and its partners want to establish sustainable supply chains for palm and palm kernel oil that both effectively improve smallholders’ living conditions and are eligible for certification according to the criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).’
The smallholder program is implemented by Solidaridad in cooperation with its partners Good Return and Credit Union Keling Kumang (CUKK) while the Australian non-governmental organization Good Return coaches and supports the teachers who carry out the trainings on the ground and who will continue the farmer support program after the project ends.
Around 1,600 of the 5,500 farmers involved in the project will learn about the different aspects of good agricultural practice (GAP) in direct trainings that include measures for sustainable farming as well as for increasing crop yields, while 3,900 smallholders will be reached not only through a multiplier effect, but also via farmer field days and regular text messages on their mobile phones.
Jan-Peter Sander, Senior Vice President at BASF Personal Care Europe said, “BASF is one of the largest global manufacturers of ingredients for the cosmetics industry as well as the home care industry and one of the links in the palm oil supply chain from smallholders to end consumers. We believe that we can only find solutions for sustainable, certified palm oil products by working together to preserve the forests and improve the living conditions of the people in the farming areas.
“That’s why we are collaborating intensively with our customers and suppliers, and also want to involve more smallholders in the dialog. The project in West Kalimantan is an important step in this direction.”
