JAKARTA (Reuters) - A global palm oil industry watchdog is planning a separate standard for smallholders to help them adopt sustainable practices and get green certification, the Indonesian director of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) said. Indonesia is the world's biggest palm oil producer and smallholders account for roughly 40% of the country's 14 million hectares of palm plantations, and are often blamed for practices such as burning to clear land, causing forest fires. Small Indonesian farmers generally suffer low productivity due to the use of poor quality palm seeds and substandard farming practices. Indonesia currently runs a subsidised palm replanting programme for small farmers to help boost yields without expanding plantation size. Access to the RSPO credits would help farmers to finance further audits needed for the certification, Rumondang said.

Source: The Star May 24, 2019 12:48 UTC