Illustration of palm oil fields owned by PT Tuna Swaerna – Mongabay.co.id
Sorong, Jubi – The Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) notes from about 30 oil palm companies investing in Papua and West Papua only three companies have pocketed certificates of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil System (ISPO).
The three companies are PT. Tunas Swaerna in Papua Province, PT. Inti Kebun Sejahtera and PT. Henrison Inti in West Papua.
These three companies are according to the Chairman of AMAN Sorong Raya Kostan Manggablo, relatively less problems in their operation in Papua for they have met the standards of international rules to guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples, customary territories and pay attention to workers’ rights.
“Only three companies hold ISPO certificates, others are still in trouble and must meet ISPO standards,” Kostan said to Jubi on Monday (7/8/2017).
Meanwhile, International Labor activist Yohanis Akwan said the emphasis on oil palm companies on ISPO certificates needs to be guarded for the rights and welfare of workers who are often ignored by the company.
The Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil System (ISPO) is a policy adopted by the Government of Indonesia in this regard the Ministry of Agriculture with the aim to enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil in the world market and participating in fulfilling the President of the Republic of Indonesia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases and pay attention to environmental issues.
ISPO was established in 2009 by the Indonesian government to ensure that all palm oil companies meet the permitted agricultural standards. (*)
