This takes us beyond Responsible Sourcing and Compliance Monitoring to become a catalyst for change achieving positive outcomes for communities, individuals, and the environment. We commit both our expertise and resources behind programs which seek to Conserve, Protect and Enable. Our current programs include:
Smallholder farmers globally are responsible for growing ~40% of all palm fresh fruit bunches. Enabling the adoption of more sustainable farming practices has the potential to both improve lives and grow sustainable palm production and supply. P&G is committed to working with these farmers to enable them to transform their livelihoods through more efficient and sustainable farming practices.
In 2018, in Johor State Malaysia we created the P&G Smallholder Training Program - working with smallholders at 17 collection centers in the Bingan Jaya Trader Network. We established the Centre for Sustainable Smallholders (CSS) in collaboration with the Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (MISI) based at University Tun Hussein Onn. It acts as a “one-stop-shop” resource center with researchers, agronomists and field workers collaborating with supply chain teams to drive on the ground (and in the field) capability. The Center for Sustainable Small-Owners aims to reach 8,000 Smallholders Farmers within 5 years.
Improving Livelihoods – Progress in 2020:
New RSPO Independent Smallholder Standard (RISS) offers a key way to enable smallholders to boost livelihoods, demonstrate sustainability, and have an RSPO voice:
P&G is committed to the responsible sourcing of palm oils. This planet is our home and we want to be a positive force for the communities and environments where oil palm is cultivated.
In 2021, on UN World Wildlife Day (March 3rd), we announced the first of our Conservation and Protection Sponsor Partnership with WWF-Malaysia.
This 2 year sponsor partnership supports WWF-Malaysia’s efforts to protect Tigers and tiger landscapes in Central Forest Spine of Peninsular Malaysia. The program takes an integrated approach to landscapes focussing on environment, biodiversity and on the people and communities who rely on palm agriculture, including palm, for their livelihoods. The program will be implemented in 4 Forest Linkages in: Belum Temengor, Sungai Yu and 2 forest linkages around the Cameron Highlands. The program is grounded in 3 keystone pillars: Protect-Restore-Produce:
Via Tiger & Wildlife Patrol Sponsorship; Biodiversity and Habitat Field Assessment for Conservation Advocacy
Through Rehabilitation of Indigenous Forest Species and creation of forest linkages - including the a vision to create an “eco-viaducts/wildlife corridors” that encourage biodiversity and wildlife transit between existing forests
Shape advocacy by developing an understanding of Land Use Mapping and engagement with stakeholders including communities
P&G is committed to playing a positive role through our P&G engagement programs, but we recognize that many challenges can only be resolved through partnership. We need to work with a range of stakeholders and experts to make change happen. This is especially true for change that needs to be driven at scale through industry-wide standards or best practices. This is why P&G engages with multiple cross industry, multi-stakeholder, and expert working groups.
P&G is a member of RSPO and actively participates in working groups, standing committees and programs to drive the development and implementation of sustainable palm practices. These include:
HCAS is a methodology and toolkit that sets the standard approach for implementing no deforestation in tropical moist forest landscapes
P&G actively participates in then Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a group of over 400 leading retailers, manufacturers, and service providers. This includes CGF’s “Forest Positive Coalition of Action” comprised of member companies committed to moving efficiently toward a forest positive future and to work to accelerate systematic efforts to remove deforestation, forest degradation and conversion from key commodity supply chains
The Implementation Reporting Framework (IRF) is being developed within the Palm Oil Collaboration Group (POCG) to provide a tool for companies to monitor, understand and communicate progress with implementation of NDPE policy commitments across the entire production base connected to their supply chain. This will allow targeted action where there are issues and ongoing reporting on progress.