KOLTIVA Backs Government and 10 Stakeholder Representatives in Signing Landmark Agreement for Sustainable Palm Oil Governance 2024-2026
This publication is authored by Koltiva and reflects its views and opinions. More information about Koltiva is available at www.koltiva.com.
- The Aceh Singkil district government and 11 stakeholder representatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the 2024-2026 Aceh Singkil Landscape Vision for Sustainable Palm Oil (SPO) Governance and officially launched the Multi-Stakeholders Forum Dashboard to promote sustainable agriculture practices in Aceh Singkil.
- Aceh Singkil District's significant potential, with 77,512 hectares of palm oil plantations managed by companies and independent smallholders, contributing 31.8% to the district's Regional Gross Domestic Product (PDRB) in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries subsector.
Jakarta, Wednesday 24th July 2024 - The Aceh Singkil District Government, together with Swisscontact, KOLTIVA, and other stakeholders, recently held a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony about Sustainable Palm Oil Governance 2024 – 202 and launched the Aceh Singkil Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) Dashboard on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Representatives from 12 entities signed the MoU, including the Aceh Singkil District Government, KOLTIVA, Swisscontact, Forest Management Unit VI (KPH VI), Yayasan Inisiatif Dagang Hijau (YIDH), Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari, Forum Konservasi Leuser, Yayasan Hutan Tropis, PT. Sari Dumai Sejati (Apical), PT. Musim Mas, and Aceh Singkils' Indonesian Palm Oil Association (APKASINDO).
The Leuser Ecosystem and the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve (which includes Aceh Tenggara, Subulussalam, and Aceh Singkil) are vital for environmental protection and represent the last and greatest opportunity to preserve Sumatra’s biodiversity. Despite its protected status, the Leuser National Park has lost one-fifth of its lowland green area due to commercial activities in the past five years. Aceh Singkil District, with the potential 77,512 hectares of palm oil plantations managed by companies and independent smallholders, contributes 31.8% to the district's Regional Gross Domestic Product (PDRB) in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries subsector. The district is also home to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve, which provides a natural habitat for the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, and Sumatran orangutan.
This multi-stakeholder initiative aims to address sustainable plantation issues and enhance productivity and sustainable palm oil production volume by 30% through intensification over the same period. Recognizing the importance of balancing sustainable economic growth, environmental protection, and social welfare, all parties are committed to ensuring a sustainable future for Aceh Singkil. This initiative highlights the need for a Sustainable Palm Oil Action Plan to position Aceh Singkil's palm oil as a globally recognized commodity, promoting a greener and more sustainable future for the region.
The MoU provides a framework for optimizing regional growth in Aceh Singkil through accelerated sustainable development among four key pillars: environmental, economic, social, and sustainable governance. The environmental pillar focuses on protecting forest ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity. The economic pillar is dedicated to sustainable land productivity and improving producers' livelihoods. The social pillar emphasizes inclusive multi-stakeholder engagement to address social inequalities and conflicts. Lastly, the sustainable governance pillar prioritizes structural support and administration for sustainable oil palm action plans.
At the MoU Signing Ceremony event, Drs. Azmi M.A.P., Acting Regent of Aceh Singkil, remarked, "The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the launch of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum Dashboard represents the tangible commitment of the Aceh Singkil District Government to establish this area as a sustainable jurisdiction with optimal oil palm productivity and maximum protection of forest ecosystems, particularly the Singkil Swamp Wildlife Sanctuary."
Swisscontact, as one of the forum members, is committed to creating sustainable production landscapes where economic development coexists with environmental protection and collaborates with KOLTIVA to develop the dashboard.
“This collaborative effort aligns diverse issues, interests, and resources into a unified force striving for a shared objective: sustainable development in the palm oil sector. This marks the beginning of the journey towards integrated Sustainable Palm Oil in Aceh Singkil. With the guidance of the Sustainable Palm Oil Action Plan mechanism and successive measurable achievements, we hope this effort will generate progressive advancements with enduring impact," said Christina Rini, Project Manager Sustainable Landscape LASR, Swisscontact.
The Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) Dashboard is an essential tool for monitoring and reporting on the activities of regional stakeholders, facilitating the effective implementation of landscape vision indicators. This platform tracks the progress of MSF initiatives, showcasing the collective actions and efforts of members based on established achievement indicators.
Developed collaboratively by MSF Aceh Singkil members, this dashboard is powered by KOLTIVA, a sustainable farming and supply chain traceability startup in Indonesia. The Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah (Bappeda) of the Aceh Singkil District Government will oversee the dashboard’s operation through the MSF secretariat. Key features include Robust Reporting Management, where members can monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) across economic, environmental, and social pillars, all presented in an easy-to-read graphical format. It also enables members to submit and report on their activities outputs and their outcomes. The dashboard can also be linked and embedded to external institutional websites, enhancing transparency, and embedded into other platforms for broader accessibility. Additionally, KoltiTrace MIS offers various support functions, including event management for organizing activities and tracking attendance, email blasts for efficient mass communication, and a shared library for documents and videos related to activities.
Manfred Borer, CEO and Co-Founder KOLTIVA added, "As we harness the vast potential of Aceh Singkil's palm oil plantations and agriculture production, it is imperative that we establish a governance framework that fosters sustainable practices through multi-stakeholder collaboration. The development of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) Dashboard through our robust traceability platform KoltiTrace MIS, allows all stakeholders to collect and monitor essential data on natural resource management while also advancing a Sustainable Palm Oil Action Plan. This centralized reporting dashboard ensures transparency for all stakeholders and aligns economic growth with environmental stewardship and social well-being. At KOLTIVA, we are dedicated to empowering companies, governments, and stakeholders to track their progress toward sustainable supply chains, ensuring that Aceh Singkil's agriculture products and palm oil production are globally recognized for its commitment to sustainability.”
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KOLTIVA and the Initiative in Aceh Singkil
KOLTIVA is part of the Sustainable Landscape “LASR” (Leuser Alas-Singkil River-basin) project consortium with Swisscontact and the Earthworm Foundation. Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), this project has been working collaboratively with the Aceh Singkil Government since 2023, aiming to assist the local government and stakeholders in preventing habitat loss in the biodiverse Leuser Ecosystem and provide economic improvement opportunities for local communities through sustainable economic growth. The project area covers three districts including Subulussalam, Aceh Singkil, and Southeast Aceh. The LASR initiative is set to run until the end of 2025.
About Koltiva
Offering human-centered technology and boots-on-the-ground solutions that digitize agribusinesses and help smallholder producers transition to sustainable practices and traceable sourcing, KOLTIVA is recognized as the leading Indonesia-based sustainable agriculture and supply chain traceability startup. As a global technology provider, it constructs ethical, transparent, and sustainable supply chains, assisting enterprises in fortifying their resilience and transparency. The company helps businesses and their suppliers comply with ever-changing regulations and consumer demands worldwide with traceability solutions. Operating in more than 61 countries and fortified by a network of customer support offices in 16 countries, Koltiva is steadfast in supporting over 10,400 enterprises in establishing transparent and robust supply chains while empowering over 1,300,000 producers to increase their annual income. www.koltiva.com
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