New FONAP pilot project

The Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP) is implementing a new pilot project in Indonesia. Together with the local palm oil forum for smallholders FORTASBI, they are implementing the project in Sumatra in the province of Jambi.

The project aims to support smallholders in oil palm cultivation to operate more sustainably and to contribute to the preservation of the forest. In addition, ecological and social goals are pursued, among others through "social forestry". Through the complementary cultivation of indigenous crops, additional sources of income are to be developed. Local women's groups grow the plant seedlings and can thus increase their personal income. Other measures such as a local multi-stakeholder process and buffer strips along riverbanks are planned to improve the water quality of the local river. In addition, a regenerative farming concept in oil palm cultivation promotes soil health: the participating farmers are trained on topics such as organic fertiliser and humus build-up.

On the ground, the project is being implemented in close cooperation with the non-governmental organisations Setara Jambi and Cappa. By involving local government and administrative structures, holistic support for the pilot measures can be ensured.

The project is also in line with the goals of the German government, that wants to step up its efforts to combat deforestation in connection with agricultural commodities. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) also underline their ambitions in these areas through their membership in FONAP.

FONAP is a multi-actor partnership consisting of over 50 German companies, associations, non-governmental organisations, BMEL and BMZ. The FONAP Secretariat is located at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The aim of FONAP e.V. is to promote sustainable agricultural supply chains with a focus on palm oil. Since its foundation in 2015, FONAP has been committed to more sustainable palm oil cultivation in the countries of origin. The aim is to increase the uptake of certified sustainable palm oil in food, feed and chemical products and to consider and apply human rights along the entire supply chain.

The press release with further information on the new FONAP pilot project can be found on the website.