31 August 2021
The Siak-Pelalawan Landscape Programme: New website launched
Siak and Pelalawan districts in Indonesia encompass a rich geography: dense forests, expansive plantations, peat bog plains and alluvial rivers. The Siak River is recognised as the deepest river in Indonesia and is therefore vital to transportation and trade. Pelalawan has such an abundance of natural resources that it is seen as the economic hub of the island of Sumatra.
Siak and Pelalawan, both in Riau province, are also major palm oil producing regions. The Siak-Pelalawan Landscape Programme (SPLP) is a private sector initiative that aims to make sustainable palm oil production models the norm. The programme was launched by a coalition of companies, recognising that collaboration was needed to effectively move towards forest and people positive palm oil production, working together with local government and stakeholders rather than within their individual supply chains.
The SPLP Coalition is launching a new website to provide information and resources about the region and the landscape programme. The site contains key data about the districts, which have more than 700,000 hectares of long-established palm oil production, 50% of which is produced by smallholders, plus 51 mills, which can be seen on interactive maps.
The SPLP Coalition consists of Cargill, L’Oreal, Musim Mas, Neste, PepsiCo, and Unilever as members, with Danone, the Consumer Goods Forum-Forest Positive Coalition of Action, and Golden Agri-Resources as supporters. SPLP is facilitated by Proforest and Daemeter under CORE (Consortium of Resource Experts).
The SPLP has four main goals:
- Protect and enhance forests, peatlands and natural ecosystems
- Empower palm oil smallholders and surrounding communities to achieve improved livelihoods
- Respect labour and community rights within the palm oil sector
- Pursue sustainable palm oil production goals through improved district policies and plans
Organisations that would like to get involved in the Siak-Pelalawan Landscape Programme, as a member of supporter, can contact info@proforest.net or info@daemeter.org.