Press Releases 299 Aceh Smallholders Secure RSPO Certification, Supported by Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food’s Smallholder Initiative

CV Perangin-angin Group joins growing list of certified smallholders through the Sawit Terampil programme.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (6 November 2025): When Risniati Tarigan, a palm oil trader and smallholder farmer from Subulussalam, in Indonesia’s Aceh province, first joined the Sawit Terampil training programme in 2023, she didn’t imagine her sustainable palm oil journey would take her far beyond her plantations.

But this week, Risniati was welcomed on stage at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Roundtable Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to accept RSPO certification on behalf of the CV Perangin-angin Group (CV PAG). This milestone recognises the sustainable farming practices of the group’s 299 farmers, who manage more than 650 hectares of independent plantations.

RSPO certification ensures that palm oil is produced legally, without deforestation, with respect for workers’ rights, and through environmentally and socially responsible practices.

These farmers follow in the footsteps of smallholder groups from North Aceh (2023) and Langkat, North Sumatra (2024), bringing the total number of independent smallholder farmers receiving RSPO certification following participation in the Sawit Terampil programme to over 800 farmers managing around 1,600 hectares.

Enhancing Access to Sustainable Markets

Smallholders produce almost half of Indonesia’s palm oil, yet many struggle with improving their land legality, limited technical skills and barriers to accessing sustainable markets. RSPO certification opens doors to fair pricing, long-term productivity and stronger community resilience. But the process can be out of reach for independent smallholders without outside support.

The Sawit Terampil programme supports smallholders who supply palm oil to mills in Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food’s supply chain. The initiative helps them improve to productivity by implementing Good Agricultural Practices, meet regulatory requirements including STDB (Surat Tanda Daftar Budidaya), and move towards certification to improve their access sustainable markets.

Through training, mentoring and institutional strengthening, many smallholders now report better yields, reduced farm costs, and stronger farmer cooperatives.

Risniati’s Story

Risniati’s story is unique. Not only is she a farmer, but also a trader who collects fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from nearly one hundred farmers, supplying several mills. “As a farmer, of course I want to produce better-quality fruit that meets the mill’s requirements. Better-quality fruits mean better prices for both farmers and traders,” she said.

According to Risniati, the training not only helped farmers understand the quality standards buyers used to grade FFBs,but offered guidance on good agricultural practices that could help them to enhance yield and quality on their own farms. “It has improved transparency between traders and farmers, the price of FFB is directly liked to quality. Of course, there are costs such as transportation, but the first factor is always quality,” she said.

The RSPO certification of CV PAG marks another milestone for GAR’s continued commitment to smallholder inclusion. GAR has trained over 11,000 farmers through its flagship independent smallholder programme Sawit Terampil to date. This initiative is part of Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food’s Collective for Impact sustainability framework, which aims to train 100,000 smallholders by 2035.

Helena Delima Lumban Gaol, Head of Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food’s Smallholder Innovation Department, noted the importance of this long-term commitment to uplifting these agricultural entrepreneurs. “Sawit Terampil has shown that smallholders need partners who stay with them, assisting them to improve their practices, further enhance their land legality, and access certified markets,” she said.

This achievement is part of the Sustainable Palm Oil Landscape Initiative in Aceh and North Sumatra, a four-year programme delivered in partnership between IDH, Mondelēz International, and Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food. The programme focuses on two key objectives: strengthening sustainable palm oil governance and improving smallholder preparedness for No Deforestation No Peat No Exploitation (NDPE) commitments.  

“At IDH, we are proud to support the journey of independent smallholders in Aceh to achieve impacts beyond certifications, such as better income, access to market and a better environment. This milestone reflects our commitment to inclusive, market-driven solutions that empower farmers, protect forests, and strengthen sustainable palm oil supply chains. Through collaboration with Mondelēz International and Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, we aim to scale impact and ensure that sustainability sounds for business and could become a norm,” said IDH’s Country Director for Indonesia, Nassat Idris.

For more information, please contact: communications@sinarmas-agri.com