Cargill’s West Kalimantan Palm Plantation Receives International Certification for Sustainable Biofuels

10 Sep 2013 --- Cargill announced that its palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, PT Harapan Sawit Lestari (HSL), has received international recognition for its sustainable palm oil practices. HSL was awarded the certification for sustainable palm oil supply for biofuels according to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standards in the European Union (EU).

This certification covers HSL’s entire operations, including smallholder plantations managed by Cargill under the KKPA (Kredit Koperasi Primer Anggota) scheme, mill, and warehousing operations.

ISCC is a certification scheme that promotes responsible farming by allowing sustainable products to be differentiated from non-sustainable ones, including greenhouse gas emissions at different stages of the value chain. It is approved by the EU to cover the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which means that Cargill is able to provide palm oil intended for energy applications to customers who are working towards compliance with the RED.

“We have always believed that responsible and sustainable production of palm oil is the way forward for this industry and we have been working hard to make our operations in Indonesia increasingly sustainable. The ISCC-EU certification covers the entire supply chain at all of HSL’s locations which produce about 130,000 metric tons of sustainable palm oil annually,” said John Hartmann, Chief Operating Officer, Cargill Tropical Palm Holdings Pte Ltd. “This represents a major milestone in our sustainable palm oil strategy and we are proud to continue our efforts to promote the palm oil sustainability agenda across the relevant sectors related to the palm oil industry.”

As part of its corporate responsibility initiative, Cargill helps local farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices, improve land use, increase the quality and quantity of their crops, and promote safe and efficient working practices. In rural areas where education and literacy levels are typically lower than urban cities, such initiatives can help increase the quality of life and incomes of the local community.

“We will continue to work with our small holder farmers, stakeholders and the local government to improve the living standards and livelihood of the local communities through multi-year corporate responsibility programs,” said Ong Kee Chau, President Director of PT Harapan Sawit Lestari. “The ISCC-EU certification puts us and our host location, Ketapang district in West Kalimantan Indonesia, on the biofuels map. As originators of ISCC-EU certified palm oil, we are now able to help meet growing demand for sustainable energy applications through the use of biofuels. This globally-recognized stamp of approval serves as a credible endorsement of our sustainable practices to the international market.”