The Beluran Smallholder Palm Oil Cluster (SPOC) is the first independent group of farmers to become certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Malaysia.
Under the Wild Asia’s Group Scheme (WAGS), the 42 smallholders, based in Kampung Toniting in the district of Beluran in Sabah, Borneo, achieved RSPO certification late last year.
RSPO certification affirms the farmers’ commitment to sustainable palm farming techniques and enables them to earn a premium by selling GreenPalm certificates to global manufacturers and retailers.
Wild Asia created WAGS in collaboration with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and with support funding from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies, to provide an effective route for local farmers to attain RSPO certification. The programme provides support to smaller, independent producers with the aim of strengthening relationships between smallholders, mills, traders and large corporations.
By providing technical assistance and training, WAGS helps smallholders improve their management practices, increase their fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yields and help them to achieve compliance with RSPO sustainability standards. By increasing production levels, the programme enables farmers to improve their income levels.
