{"id":26935,"date":"2023-11-23T09:33:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T09:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gapki.id\/en\/?p=26935"},"modified":"2023-11-27T09:41:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T09:41:08","slug":"malaysian-smallholders-submit-memorandum-on-eudr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gapki.id\/en\/news\/2023\/11\/23\/malaysian-smallholders-submit-memorandum-on-eudr\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaysian Smallholders Submit Memorandum On EUDR"},"content":{"rendered":"

During his visit to Malaysia in October of 2023, Malaysian palm oil smallholders submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, which outlined their challenges in accessing European and global markets. The memorandum, submitted on their behalf by Solidaridad, comes against the backdrop of the European Union\u2019s Deforestation Regulation that seeks to ban the sale of palm oil produced on deforested land. <\/p>\n

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Smallholder palm oil producers in Malaysia and Indonesia (who account for nearly 28% and 40% of the global palm oil output, respectively), as well as their respective governments, have voiced concerns about the new regulation and the stringency of its provisions which could potentially exclude small farmers from the European and global supply chains and markets. The memorandum states that, \u201cThe recent adoption of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) would place further constraints to our ability to enter the already hard to access international market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Signatories to the memorandum include representatives of the Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (DOPPA), National Association of Smallholders Malaysia (NASH), Persatuan Veteran Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (PVATM) Sarawak, Dayak National Congress (DNC), Koperasi Pekebun Kecil Telagus Balai Ringin Serian Berhad, as well as village heads, community leaders and the leaders of farmers\u2019 groups.<\/p>\n

Under its National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NI-SCOPS) program, Solidaridad in Asia has focused on projects to develop environmentally sustainable oil palm agriculture, while empowering oil palm smallholders through increased yield, improved access to market and readiness to comply with national sustainability standards, like the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil certification (ISPO).<\/p>\n

We (PVATM) strongly support Solidaridad Network Malaysia in Sarawak so that they can continue a program like NISCOPS in the future.<\/p>\n

In both countries, the program enjoys the support of key government and private stakeholders. Solidaridad aims to reduce deforestation and mitigate climate change through enhanced climate-adaptive practices by oil palm smallholders. The NI-SCOPS project includes support for climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices, while it works hard to stop agricultural encroachment in forested areas.<\/p>\n

The memorandum acknowledges the benefits of the NI-SCOPS program and the ongoing work by the governments of Malaysia and Netherlands to support the sustainable management of smallholder palm oil farms. However, it also highlights numerous challenges for smallholders, which include the impacts of climate change, rising costs for farm inputs, and the difficulties smallholders face when participating in global markets.<\/p>\n

Development of a voluntary mechanism for carbon farming which includes pre-financing or carbon credit off-take from oil palm smallholders could be a feasible strategy to uplift the livelihood of smallholders.<\/p>\n

Additionally, smallholders in Malaysia continue to need training in farm management, access to the latest agricultural technology, and there is a growing need to establish a market platform dedicated to smallholder palm oil production. The smallholders, through the memorandum, requested the Dutch Prime Minister\u2019s intervention and assistance to accomplish three critical goals:<\/p>\n