To elevate sustainable oil palm production in Thailand to international standards, the Palm Oil Extraction Association, Surat Thani Provincial Agricultural Council, Surat Thani Oil Palm Farmers Association, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support and enhance the capacity of Thai oil palm farmers towards sustainable production certification under RSPO Standards.
Thailand currently has a combined oil palm plantation area of 992,000 ha, ranking third behind Indonesia (16.2 million ha) and Malaysia (6 million ha) respectively.
Committing to support the capacity development of Thai oil palm farmers for sustainable palm oil certification under the RSPO Standards, a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between RSPO, the Palm Oil Extraction Association, the Surat Thani Provincial Agricultural Council, and the Surat Thani Oil Palm Farmers Association.
Improve certified sustainable palm oil capacity
The aim of this initiative is to promote and enhance the capacity of Thai oil palm farmers to produce sustainably certified palm oil that meets international standards.
It also aims to promote sustainable fresh fruit bunch (FFB) collection points and harvesting processes to ensure quality standards.
The target is to increase the certified FFB production by 3 percent of production capacity in the first three years and by 1 percent in subsequent years, to improve the quality and standards of Thailand’s palm oil industry to a global level.
The MoU is aimed at supporting smallholder farmer groups, building knowledge and understanding of production processes aligned with RSPO Standards, and increasing the yield of RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) as per the set targets.
The Palm Oil Extraction Association will encourage and support its members to elevate production standards and promote sustainability in Thailand’s agricultural sector, focusing on improving the quality of life for farmers and communities involved in palm oil production.
Additionally, the association will collaborate with government agencies and RSPO representatives to develop projects and activities that strengthen farmers’ capacity to reduce costs, increase palm oil yields, and adhere to RSPO’s international sustainability principles and guidelines.
Roots of Sustainability study tour
The signing took place during the Roots of Sustainability study tour, which followed the RSPO Annual Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil conference (RT2024), held November 11-13, 2024 in Bangkok, with support from the Thailand Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil (TASPO), Surat Thani Province, the Palm Oil Extraction Association, the Surat Thani Federation of Industries, and SD Guthrie International plc.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Governor Bundarn Sathirachawan, heads of government offices, representatives from the Surat Thani Provincial Industry Office, Agriculture Office, Commerce Office, Surat Thani Provincial Chamber of Commerce, palm oil extraction businesses, refinery operators, leaders of smallholder farmer groups who are RSPO members, representatives from Suratthani Rajabhat University, and over 80 participants from the Roots of Sustainability study tour from six countries.
The subsequent study tour was attended by delegates from the Ministry of Agriculture in India, RSPO members, NGOs, and media representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Spain, Australia, and the UK.
