Improved nutrition, land stewardship, and community support are essential components of Golden Agri-Resources’ business
Singapore – Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has today unveiled the first in a series of new videos presenting inspiring stories of the people at the heart of the sustainability transformation underway in the palm oil industry in Indonesia. The videos form the next phase of GAR’s Extraordinary Everyday campaign first launched in 2017.
Continuing with its mission to share the stories of the extraordinary people behind palm oil, GAR’s “The Journey” video, the first in the series, introduces farmer, Yatimin, and elementary teacher, Siti Musyaropah from West Kalimantan, a rural province of Indonesia on the island of Borneo, as well as food technologist, Punjung Renjani, from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Palm oil’s detractors often describe industrial-scale production and the invisibility of the ingredient in so many different applications from food to personal care items, cosmetics and even fuel, as evidence of its damaging properties. GAR Vice President of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Relations, Anita Neville said these videos and the stories that lie behind them aim to showcase a more human and more positive aspect of this extraordinary, natural, plant-based ingredient.
Neville said: “Within our own operations in Indonesia, we provide employment to more than 170,000 people and through our engagement with the often remote, rural communities within which we operate, our indirect impact on lives is even greater. Some 16 million people in Indonesia are directly or indirectly employed in the industry, we wanted to show that, when responsibly produced, palm oil can and is having lasting positive impacts on the lives of these people.”
Since the introduction of its Forest Conservation Policy in 2011, the first in the palm oil sector, GAR has been a leading player in the sustainability transformation the industry has been undergoing.
“The Journey” provides an insight into how GAR is helping to improve sustainable practices, support community development, and drive improved nutrition through the people working along the palm oil value chain.
GAR Executive Director, Jesslyne Widjaja, commented, “People are at the heart of Golden Agri-Resources as a business; in our plantations and estates we support not just employees but families. And it is people like Yatimin, Siti, and Punjung that will enable us to deliver our sustainability commitments.”
“As we continue on GAR’s sustainability journey, we want to encourage and enable more people within the industry, especially smallholders, to adopt better practices that deliver better yields with less impact on the environment, resulting in greater incomes for farmers. These videos show the potential of the industry with the right tools and the right people,” said Widjaja.
The video series not only highlights the extraordinary individuals featured but also documents the many ways the palm oil sector positively impacts daily lives in Indonesia and beyond.
