BASF, Estée Lauder and others partner on sustainable palm oil development

BASF, The Estée Lauder Companies and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have teamed up with civil society organisation Solidaridad to promote sustainable palm oil production in Lampung, Indonesia.

The project, which is based in the Waykanan district of Lampung, supports independent Indonesian smallholder farmers to improve their production of palm oil and palm kernel oil, as well as their livelihoods.

The overall aim of the project is that at least one-third of the supported smallholder farmers become certified according to RSPO’s Smallholder Standard within three years.

“Most major European companies have committed to using sustainable palm oil exclusively," said Heske Verburg, managing director at Solidaridad Europe. "We are delighted that BASF and The Estée Lauder Companies are reaching beyond just purchasing sustainably, by providing direct support for sustainable palm oil projects. When palm oil is produced sustainably, and in a future-proof manner, it can actually contribute to resolving grave issues for both farmers and the environment.”

“We are thrilled to partner with BASF and Solidaridad on this important initiative to support Indonesian smallholder farmers,” added Greg Polcer, executive vice-president, global supply chain, at Estée Lauder. “So many livelihoods in this community are inextricably tied to the production and we support ensuring that it is produced sustainably – both for the long-term benefit to the environment and for the long-term benefit to the community itself.”

“Approximately 40% of the world palm production comes from smallholder farmers who rely on it for their livelihoods,” said Daniele Piergentili, vice-president of home and personal care at BASF in North America. “The partnership with Estée Lauder, Solidaridad and RSPO enables us to support these farmers and at the same time increase the availability of sustainably produced palm oil.”

"For sustainable production to become mainstream and fully inclusive, the RSPO believes it is imperative to support smallholders through a variety of different approaches, including the RSPO Smallholder Support Fund (RSSF),” noted Ashwin Selvaraj, head of smallholder unit in the RSPO Secretariat. “This collaborative project in Lampung is a great opportunity to scale up sustainable practices, protect natural resources and bring more smallholders under certification through RSPO Best Management Practices.”