On September 24, the United States witnessed the signing of the landmark Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge by the CEOs of Cargill, Asian Agri, Golden Agri-Resources, Wilmar, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which reflects the commitment of these industry giants to break the link between palm oil and deforestation. This Pledge includes industry-leading benchmarks such as proactive government engagement on policy reform and a principle of no planting on high carbon stock forest or peat lands, and go beyond the companies’ existing sustainability commitments. By applying these principles to third-party suppliers and covering the signatories’ operations worldwide, these companies are creating best practices for their industry.
The sustainable production of palm oil is a challenging yet important environmental issue. A key factor in improving this production is reducing the significant deforestation that is occurring. This pledge by industry and other stakeholders here in Indonesia is a good first step in moving to an environmentally positive solution. The U.S. Government looks forward to working with the signatories, civil society and the Government of Indonesia to follow and promote implementation of the Pledge.
