Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) brought together more than 100 supplier companies—alongside buyers, civil society organisations, academic experts and internal teams—for the 11th SMART SEED supplier engagement forum, held on Tuesday (11/11) in Medan, North Sumatra. The gathering marked one of the company’s largest and most collaborative supplier-focused sustainability events to date.
Centred on the theme “GAR’s Sustainability Journey: Collective for Impact, Together in Action,” the forum underscored the company’s commitment to driving transformation across the palm oil value chain. Rather than focusing solely on sustainability pledges, GAR used the event to highlight practical steps and measurable progress, setting the tone for a new phase of industry collaboration grounded in transparency, responsibility and shared effort.
A Forum Designed for Alignment, Action and Accountability
The annual SMART SEED forum serves as a cornerstone of GAR’s supplier engagement strategy, and this year’s program reflected the company’s ambition to accelerate real-world impacts across its supply chains. The event had four main objectives:
- Provide updates on GAR’s sustainability achievements, including progress toward the targets outlined in its Collective for Impact sustainability framework.
- Deepen supplier alignment with the company’s No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policy, which guides responsible sourcing within its extensive supplier network.
- Recognise suppliers who have demonstrated strong sustainability performance, particularly in areas such as human rights and emissions transparency.
- Renew commitments to shared action, reinforcing the idea that a responsible, traceable and inclusive palm oil supply chain depends on the participation and accountability of every actor involved.
By assembling stakeholders from across the industry—producers, processors, buyers, NGOs, and technical partners—GAR created a platform to exchange insights and build momentum around shared priorities, from emissions reduction to smallholder empowerment.
Shared Responsibility as the Basis for Industry Transformation
In his keynote remarks, Ian Suwarganda, Director of Sustainable Supply and Production at GAR, emphasised that achieving a sustainable palm oil sector requires partnership and collective resolve.
“We cannot achieve a sustainable palm oil supply chain on our own. Change happens only when all actors are moving in the same direction,” he said. “Our focus goes beyond commitments to real transformation on the ground. This means full traceability, no deforestation, lower emissions, and ensuring smallholders are not left behind. We invite our suppliers and partners to walk this journey with us, because meaningful impact can only be realised when we act together.”
Suwarganda’s message set a collaborative tone that carried throughout the day’s discussions, reinforcing GAR’s belief that supply chain transformation must be shared, measurable and rooted in ongoing partnership.
Strengthening NDPE Implementation and Emissions Accountability
The first of the two main sessions during the forum focused on GAR’s progress under the NDPE Implementation Reporting Framework (NDPE IRF), a global tool used to assess and improve responsible sourcing practices among palm oil suppliers. The session also introduced suppliers to the transition toward NDPE IRF Version 6.0, which brings expanded criteria and a deeper focus on emissions monitoring and reduction.
GAR highlighted key achievements, including its 99% achievement of NDPE IRF Version 5.8 under the Delivering category as of 2024, demonstrating that nearly all suppliers are meeting essential NDPE requirements. The company plans to establish a new baseline under Version 6.0 by the end of 2025. This updated model broadens assessments across three major supply-base categories:
- Direct management areas,
- Independent plantations, and
- Independent smallholders.
The new version also strengthens expectations around emissions data disclosure. GAR encouraged suppliers to play an active role in building a lower-carbon palm oil industry by improving emissions monitoring, reporting and reduction practices. As global markets increasingly demand climate-responsible supply chains, greater transparency across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is becoming a key marker of long-term resilience and marketability.
Supporting Smallholders and Protecting Human Rights
The second session of the forum shifted focus to smallholder empowerment and human rights, two central pillars of GAR’s sustainability framework. The company shared updates on multiple initiatives designed to close capability gaps and enhance responsible practices across rural communities.
One of these initiatives is Sawit Terampil, a capacity-building program that provides practical training on good agricultural practices, sustainable land management and certification readiness for independent smallholders. GAR also presented progress on human rights programs, including updates to its Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) system and ongoing work to support partners in implementing human rights policies.
The session highlighted the idea that a sustainable palm oil sector cannot exist without inclusive growth and respect for people at every level of the supply chain. Ensuring smallholders have equal access to knowledge, tools and market opportunities remains critical for long-term transformation.
Recognising Excellence and Inspiring Continuous Improvement
To encourage continued leadership and collaboration, GAR presented awards to suppliers and partners who demonstrated notable advancements in their sustainability performance.
Thirteen suppliers and partners received recognition across three categories:
- Human Rights Transformation Award – Six companies were recognised for demonstrating strong progress following human rights due diligence verification. Their achievements reflect not only compliance with indicators, but also meaningful improvements in worker welfare, grievance mechanisms and community engagement.
- Carbon Data Collaboration Award – Another six companies were honoured for their commitment to emissions transparency and proactive contribution of carbon-related data. GAR emphasised that such collaboration is essential for building a more climate-resilient palm oil sector.
- Special Recognition for Smallholder Empowerment – GAR awarded Koperasi Jasa Sawit Lepan Jaya (KJSLJ), a cooperative participating in Sawit Terampil, for its dedication to supporting smallholders in adopting sustainable practices and advancing toward certification.
Representatives from recognised organisations expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment. Speaking on behalf of Inecda Plantation, Lesmana emphasised the broader significance of human rights improvements:
“We are grateful for this recognition. It is not only an acknowledgement of our performance in human rights, but also a reminder that human rights responsibilities go beyond meeting indicators. They are about people, and they require consistency and care.”
A Unified Path Forward
The 11th SMART SEED forum concluded with a renewed sense of shared purpose. GAR’s message was clear: sustainability is no longer about aspirations—it’s about measurable, real-world impact that requires collective action, transparent engagement and ongoing improvement from suppliers, partners and stakeholders.
As the company advances toward its Collective for Impact framework goals and the expanded NDPE IRF 6.0 model, it plans to deepen collaboration with suppliers, strengthen data-driven accountability and support smallholders in their journey toward a more sustainable and inclusive palm oil future.
Through initiatives like SMART SEED, GAR continues to build a culture in which the entire ecosystem—large producers, independent planters, cooperatives and global buyers—moves forward together, united by a shared responsibility to protect forests, uplift communities and drive long-term industry transformation.
Source Link:https://www.goldenagri.com.sg/
