Phang Nga, 30 May 2024 – Global Green Chemicals Public Company Limited (GGC) together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, palm oil mill partners and smallholder farmers have announced their joint achievement to upscale sustainable palm oil production and procurement standards.
The successful public-private partnership to enhance smallholder capacities in sustainable palm oil production was highlighted during the Sustainable Palm Oil Production and Procurement (SPOPP) project achievement and appreciation ceremony held at Avani+ Khao Lak, Phang Nga province.
Up to 60 participants from GGC, GIZ, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives – led by the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Department of Agriculture, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Thailand, and representatives of oil palm smallholders and oil mills attended the session to celebrate the completion of project implementation and showcase the achievement of RSPO certified smallholder groups.
Mr Kridsada Prasertsuko, GGC Managing Director, gave the opening remarks, saying: “We’re proud of our partnership with GIZ, which has enabled the scaling up of sustainable palm oil production, and procurement activities, and allowed more oil palm smallholders to obtain RSPO certification while enhancing their market access in Thailand and globally.”
In 2022, GGC, GIZ together with palm oil mill operators and more than 1,000 oil palm smallholders throughout the project’s four pilot provinces of Krabi, Trang, Chumphon and Phang Nga signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at driving sustainable palm oil production and procurement, he said.
Dr Kanokwan Saswattecha, Project Director, GIZ Thailand said: “The SPOPP project provides a platform for stakeholders including oil palm smallholders to play an active role in enhancing their capacities by utilising digital tools and resources to improve farming management, production standards and competitiveness.”
Mr Yutthana Charungkan, Group Manager of RSPO-Phang Nga Oil Palm Production Community Enterprise, shared his view on the community success to scale up sustainable palm oil production upstream. “It is challenging for oil palm smallholders to work individually to meet the RSPO certification requirements. A series of training sessions, modules and the data management system introduced by the SPOPP project enables farmers to work together as a group, broaden their knowledge and experience to strengthen our farming practices and group management to meet the RSPO standard. Now, we seek opportunities for carbon credits beyond the RSPO certification in the long run.” ■
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