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Pictured: Turnera Subulata provides a host environment for predator insects in oil palm plantationsIn 2015, land fires were the most challenging issue for palm growers, significantly affecting the palm oil business, since many publications reported palm oil to be the main factor behind the disaster. However, the facts showed that oil palm concessions contributed to less than 15 per cent of the land fires in Indonesia, and more than 50 per cent of land fires were recorded to happen in mineral soil. In terms of land-use, about 69 per cent of the total land – 187 million hectares – is used as forest (for biodiversity conservation, including national parks and protected forest areas) and the remainder are non-forest areas. According to the law, an oil palm plantation can only be set up in a non-forest area. Today, oil palm plantations cover about 11.9 million hectares, 39 per cent of which are owned by smallholders (Directorate General of Estate Crops 2016), or about 5 per cent of the total land of Indonesia. With this in mind, it is very hard to link palm oil with the vast areas of forest lost (more than 40 million ha) in Indonesia. The research conducted by Gunarso et al in 2012 showed that, based on a land-sat image analysis conducted between 1990 and 2010, the establishment of oil palm plantations in Indonesia did not mainly come from the conversion of primary forest, as only 3 per cent of natural forests were transformed into oil palm plantations. This fact clearly shows that the development of oil palm plantations substantially is not the main driver of deforestation, as reported in many publications.SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL INITIATIVES: MOVING FORWARDIndonesia has a strong commitment to implementing a sustainable production of palm oil through various government regulations, particularly those related to deforestation and peatland including:1. Instruction by The President of the Republic of Indonesia regarding suspension of granting new licenses, and improvement of natural primary forest and peatland governance: No 10 Year 2011, No 6 Year 2013, No 8 Year 2015, and No 6 Year 2017; 2. Government Decree No 57/2016 junto No 71/2014 regarding Protection and Management of Peat Ecosystem; 3. Establishment of Peat Restoration Agency through Presidential Decree No 1/2016; 4. Establishment of One Map Policy through Presidential Decree No 9 year 2016 regarding the implementation of One Map Policy with a map scale 1:50.000. These regulations that companies have to abide by aim to prevent further deforestation and protect peatlands. Companies could be prohibited from operating if they disregarded the prevailing regulations on environmental protection.Sustainable certification is another commitment of the Government to ensure that palm oil is produced in a sustainable way. The certification is implemented according to Agriculture Minister Decree No 11/Permentan/OT.140/3/2015 junto No. 19/Permentan/OT.140/3/2011. The ISPO scheme represents all systems in Indonesia as regulated in various government regulations. In other words, the ISPO scheme is a compilation of all related government regulations. Every single company has to follow the scheme and the certificate is only given to the company that has fulfilled 100 per cent of the principles and criteria under the ISPO scheme. The the ISPO scheme is a comprehensive system evaluating and reviewing overall aspects of the palm oil production process, including legal aspects of concession, best management system (labor, cultivation, etc.), corporate social responsibility and environment/ecosystem management. There are seven principles, 41 criteria, and 127 indicators required to be fulfilled by a company in order to get certified. The commitment to sustainability is evident in the increasing number of companies adopting the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standards, from only 10 companies in 2013 to 226 companies last year and 304 companies as of August 2017. Further key steps shall focus on: 1. Intensification through enhancement of breeding research, improvement of agronomic practices and harvesting methods; 2. Establishing partnerships between companies, smallholders, buyers, suppliers, government and other related stakeholders;3. Engagement among palm oil related stakeholders (companies, smallholders, government, buyers, suppliers etc.)=;4. Strengthening the palm oil fund to support the implementation of sustainable palm oil. ■ABOUT INDONESIAN PALM OIL ASSOCIATION Indonesian Palm Oil Association or GAPKI (Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia), which was founded on 21 February 1981, is an organisation that aims to unite the Indonesian oil palm planters and palm oil producers. GAPKI membership consists of state-owned oil palm plantations, private oil palm plantations (national as well as foreign-owned) and smallholders. SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL 069