On Indonesia’s National Batik Day, marking the anniversary of UNESCO’s recognition of Indonesian batik as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2009, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Laweyan Batik Village Development Forum (FPKBL) have joined forces, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish their mutual intention to collaborate in advancing and promoting batik products that use sustainable palm oil raw materials in Indonesia.
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Under the cooperation agreement, FPKBL will work together with RSPO to encourage systemic changes in its production processes, with the aim to shape a batik industry that is built on sustainable practices.
I welcome this collaboration agreement between RSPO and the Laweyan Batik Village Development Forum as it signals not only a closer alignment between two formidable industries driving Indonesia’s economic growth but also a transformative moment leading the country’s iconic batik industry towards the path of sustainability, said Mahatma Windrawan Inantha, RSPO Deputy Director Market Transformation, Indonesia.
This goal will be anchored in a four-fold approach:
- FPKBL membership of RSPO;
- capacity building and awareness of FPKBL members about sustainable palm oil;
- use of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil and its derivatives (including but not limited to palm oil-based wax); and
- marketing of FPKBL batik products centered on the use of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in the production process.
The Kampoeng Batik Laweyan Development Forum (FPKBL) is an organization that manages the Kampoeng Batik Laweyan cluster located in Central Java, where local people share a common enterprise as producers.
FPKBL aims to be a pioneer in guiding the batik industry in creating a balance between meeting market needs, social and economic justice, and environmental sustainability.
The ancient art of batik is inseparable from Indonesia’s cultural identity. We find ourselves in an opportune moment to steer this industry whose origins date back to 5 000 BC to face the sustainability challenges of our world today. Our closer cooperation with RSPO is a step in the right direction by upholding our commitment to using RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil in our production processes, said FPKBL Chairman, Alpha Febela Priyatmono.
Sustainable palm oil-based wax
In Indonesia, the use of palm oil-based wax in batik products was introduced in 2021 as the result of research by the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
The stearin that is used as batik wax can produce a sharper and brighter coloring.
As part of the collaboration between FPKBL and RSPO, a comprehensive program will be implemented to accelerate systemic sustainable palm oil practices, namely, increasing the uptake of sustainable palm oil products in the domestic market.
Looking towards the future, this shift to sustainable palm oil is envisioned to deliver positive impacts on FPKBL’s development, as a leading batik industry player and a sustainability benchmark that recognizes and prioritizes environmental sustainability in its business practices.
