KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's oil palm smallholders have begun taking their first step towards sustainability to meet the requirements under Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.
Koperasi Landskap Kelapa Sawit Sabah Bhd (LKSS), a cooperative with 25 growers, marked a milestone when they became the first growers' cooperative in the country to be awarded the certification for the eligibility phase of the RSPO Independent Smallholder Standard (RISS) group certification scheme.
With the certification, smallholders are allowed to receive an immediate 40% premium through selling RSPO credit before being fully accredited, and subsequently a full premium price upon completing all its milestones.
Established in 2019, LKSS was formed with support from WWF-Malaysia and aims to engage and assist medium-sized growers and smallholders in preparing for group certification under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and RSPO certification standards for the Tawau-Kunak Landscape in the Sabah's east coast.
It has now grown to over 380 members comprising 300 smallholders and 80 medium-sized growers with a cumulative land area of about 16,000 hectares.
"We hope that more of our members will follow in the footsteps of these 25 smallholders.
"Our sustainability team will continue to support these 25 smallholders to prepare for the next phase," LKSS chairman Shim Nyuk Min said during the presentation of the certification by Nur Nazifah Ahmad Rosland, RSPO Smallholder Programme Manager (Malaysia).
RSPO certification offers smallholders the opportunity to earn additional revenue through RSPO credit sales, contribute to sustainable palm oil production, and align with global sustainability standards.
These benefits not only support the economic well-being of smallholders but also contribute to environmental conservation and the social welfare of local communities.
WWF Malaysia conservation chief Dr Robecca Jumin said that that LKSS’ achievement was a milestone.
"We are eager to see what the future holds for them and will continue to support them in their sustainability journey," she said.
Since the formation of LKSS, WWF-Malaysia through its Sustainable Palm Oil Team (SPOT) has facilitated two other growers’ cooperatives - Koperasi Lestari Penanam Sawit Sabah Berhad (KLASS) and Koperasi Pekebun Kecil dan Sederhana Sawit Lestari Sabah Berhad (KO-SALESA).
Both KLASS and KO-SALESA consist of 50 and 37 smallholders respectively covering a combined total land area of roughly 1,300 hectares in the Tabin and Sandakan landscapes.
