Around 200 Palm Oil Scholarship Candidates Reportedly Lose Their Selection Status

The information was contained in an open letter addressed to the President Director of the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP). Signed by representatives of Palm Oil Scholarship alumni, the letter calls for clarity over the status of the affected candidates. According to the letter, the candidates had previously been officially declared successful and were subsequently included in an official coordination group for scholarship recipients. The situation reportedly changed after their selection status was cancelled. The alumni representatives attributed the cancellation to technical issues involving PDDIKTI and LLDIKTI data synchronization. For the affected candidates, the issue reportedly extends beyond an administrative...

MPOC Brings Palm Oil Bioactive Research Into Focus at India Forum

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) brought the discussion to India through Palm Conversations International India 2026 (PCI), held in Mumbai on August 24. The forum gathered researchers, healthcare professionals, nutrition experts, policymakers and industry representatives to discuss palm oil, nutrition and emerging research on bioactive compounds. Held under the theme “Bioactive Power from the Palm: Reimagining Health for a World Facing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs),” the event was also positioned as part of efforts to strengthen scientific and commercial ties between Malaysia and India, one of Malaysia’s major palm oil markets. Among the studies discussed was a review examining the...

East Kutai Urges Palm Oil Companies to Strengthen Gender-Responsive Work Practices

The approach is intended to help create workplaces that are safe, fair and humane while providing equal opportunities for male and female workers. According to the East Kutai administration, gender-responsive employment policies need to recognize that male and female workers can have different needs and circumstances. The approach is also expected to strengthen labor protection, particularly for women working in the palm oil sector. DPPPA East Kutai policy analyst Femmy Macawalang said the local government already had policy foundations related to gender mainstreaming and would continue strengthening implementation through collaboration with stakeholders. She said gender-responsive policies should not simply mean...

USU Researchers Call for Sociology and Anthropology to Strengthen Palm Oil Smallholder Partnerships

USU social and economic researcher Yusak Maryunianta said company–smallholder partnerships and conflict resolution have often relied heavily on formal regulatory or legal mechanisms and material considerations. However, conflicts originating from palm oil partnership arrangements can affect broader community relations, social structures and cultural life. Yusak made the remarks during a public consultation discussion organized by Rumah Sawit Indonesia (RSI) and USU in Medan. The discussion carried the theme “Smallholder–Company Partnerships in Building Reliable and Competitive Smallholders through Land Intensification and Industrialization.” According to Yusak, a fair and sustainable partnership should begin with a better understanding of local communities. From a...

Indonesia Pushes Gender Mainstreaming in Palm Oil Sector to Boost Women’s Productivity

Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Arifah Fauzi said the government’s gender mainstreaming guidelines for the palm oil sector were not intended to create additional burdens for companies. Instead, the guidelines are designed to ensure that women involved in the plantation industry have their rights protected while being given greater opportunities to improve their productivity. “The gender mainstreaming guidelines for the palm oil plantation sector are not intended to make things difficult for companies, but to ensure that women involved in the palm oil plantation sector can become more productive,” Arifah said during the Socialisation of Gender Mainstreaming...

Karhutla Policy Draws Criticism as Sawit Watch Says Palm Oil Workers Remain Unprotected

Sawit Watch said Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 11 of 2026 on Strengthening Enforcement of the Ban on Land Clearing by Burning and Controlling Forest and Land Fires has not adequately addressed the protection of palm oil plantation workers. In a press statement dated Sept. 10, 2026, Sawit Watch Executive Director Achmad Surambo said forest and land fires in several palm oil-producing areas had directly affected workers. The Ministry of Health recorded more than 10 million people affected by forest and land fires across seven provinces: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Jambi, Riau and South Sumatra. Surambo said...

GAPKI Warns Unregulated Palm Oil Mills Threaten Indonesia’s Supply Chain Traceability

GAPKI has warned that poorly supervised mills could contribute to a range of problems, including fresh fruit bunch (FFB) theft, plantation-related conflicts and difficulties in tracing the origin of palm oil feedstock. The issue was raised during a multi-stakeholder forum titled Strengthening a Transparent, Inclusive and Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Jakarta on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The forum brought together government representatives, industry players, farmer organizations, academics, international development partners and civil society groups. GAPKI Deputy Chairman for General Affairs II, Susanto, said the palm oil industry plays a strategic...

Ahead of EUDR, Indonesia Urged to Regulate Loading Ramps and Palm Oil Mills Without Plantations

The facilities serve as collection points where Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) from independent smallholders are purchased, weighed, sorted, consolidated, and subsequently delivered to palm oil mills. The issue was discussed by Dr. M. Windrawan Inantha, Strategic Advisor at CECT Sustainability, Universitas Trisakti, during a multi-stakeholder forum titled Strengthening a Transparent, Inclusive and Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain that Meets ISPO and EUDR Requirements, organized by UNDP Indonesia in Jakarta on September 10, 2026. Speaking during a session on the dynamics of loading ramps and palm oil mills without plantations, Windrawan said loading ramps should not automatically be treated as a...

Sumatra, Kalimantan Forest Fires Raise Safety Concerns for Palm Oil Workers

The Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity (TPOLS) network has raised concerns about the protection of plantation workers amid deteriorating air quality. According to the network, workers in several palm oil plantations have reportedly been required to continue working despite heavy smoke reducing visibility and making breathing more difficult. Citing a statement received by on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, TPOLS said the situation had been reported at plantation sites in both Kalimantan and Sumatra. Workers said plantation activities continued even as smoke began to affect their breathing and daily work in the field. One of the workers, Damianus Fansi, from Central...

BRIN Calls for Research-Driven Diversification of Indonesia’s Downstream Palm Oil Products

The agency is promoting broader diversification of palm oil-based products as part of an effort to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesia’s palm oil industry and create greater added value from the country’s strategic commodity. As reported by from BRIN on Wednesday (September 9, 2026), Hens Saputra, Head of BRIN’s Research Center for Process Technology, said the development of the palm oil industry should increasingly be viewed through the lens of value creation. “It's not about how much palm oil is produced, but how much value can be added,” Hens said. In his view, this perspective opens opportunities to position palm...

Bappenas Says Palm Oil Downstreaming Must Begin with Upstream Sector Reform

Rachmat made the statement during a visit to a palm oil processing facility using Steamless Palm Oil Technology (SPOT) at the INSTIPER Yogyakarta campus on Saturday, September 5, 2026. During the visit, Rachmat highlighted the importance of increasing plantation productivity, improving resource efficiency, and strengthening environmental management as part of efforts to reinforce Indonesia’s palm oil industry. According to him, the government’s downstreaming agenda will not achieve optimal results if problems in the upstream or on-farm sector remain unresolved. “The essence is that Bappenas has been tasked with handling downstreaming. Palm oil downstreaming can only happen if the on-farm sector...

SPKS: Palm Oil Plantation Enforcement in Forest Areas Must Be Followed by Legal Certainty

Marselinus Andri, Head of Advocacy at the Smallholders Palm Oil Union (SPKS), made the statement during the Pre-National Conference Webinar on Smallholder Plantations II attended by , on Friday, September 4, 2026. According to Andri, enforcement measures undertaken by the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) have yet to answer the central questions of who owns or controls the land, how control over the land was established, and what legal certainty is available to farmers who have been managing the plantations. He said spatial mapping is important as an initial step, but it cannot be the sole basis for...

Indonesia Tightens Palm Oil Governance, TBS Pricing Oversight

The policy direction was outlined during the Ministry of Agriculture’s Palm Oil Governance Socialization and Coordination event held on September 2, 2026. The government views FFB pricing as an important mechanism to protect partner smallholders, ensure market access for their harvests, secure raw material supplies for palm oil mills, and prevent unfair business practices. The framework is based, among other regulations, on Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 13 of 2024 concerning the Purchase of FFB Produced by Partner Smallholders. Regional Teams to Determine FFB Prices Under the mechanism, FFB prices are determined by the head of the provincial agriculture agency...

Indonesian Lawmaker Urges Palm Oil to Become a Major Energy Source

Ateng made the remarks during a limited discussion forum organized by Rumah Sawit Indonesia in cooperation with IPB University in Bogor. The discussion also touched on the direction of national environmental and climate policies. reported from Ateng Sutisna’s statement at the forum on Monday (August 31, 2026), that palm oil-based energy development should be considered in national policymaking as the government and parliament work on revisions to environmental legislation and prepare a Climate Change Law. Palm Oil for Food, Feed and Energy Ateng said palm oil has strategic potential because its development can involve communities while supporting national priorities. He...

Indonesia Accelerates Smallholder Oil Palm Replanting in East Kutai to Boost ISPO Certification

The PSR initiative targets approximately 1,900 hectares of smallholder oil palm plantations in East Kutai, supported by funding from Indonesia’s Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) of Rp60 million per hectare. According to an official statement from Solidaridad received by on Thursday, September 3, 2026, the program is expected to involve around 900 smallholders. The replanting process will prioritize certified high-quality planting materials to improve fresh fruit bunch (FFB) productivity while maintaining the economic sustainability of farming communities. Aging Plantations Put Smallholder Incomes Under Pressure Oil palm cultivation in East Kutai expanded rapidly from around 1999 through the early 2000s. After...

West Kalimantan Records 6,526 Hotspots as Link-AR Borneo Calls for Palm Oil Governance Review

According to a statement from Link-AR Borneo received by on Thursday, September 3, 2026, data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry’s SiPongi monitoring system showed 6,526 hotspots in West Kalimantan as of August 29, 2026. The figure was nearly double the number recorded one day earlier and placed West Kalimantan second among Indonesia’s six priority provinces for forest and land fire management, behind Central Kalimantan. Across the six provinces, 20,378 hotspots were recorded. Hazardous Air Quality Raises Public Health Concerns The fires have also contributed to severe air pollution in parts of West Kalimantan. IQAir monitoring showed that Pontianak’s air quality...

Bengkalis Palm Oil Plantation Owner Named Suspect in Alleged Illegal Use of 4-Hectare Forest Area

The case emerged during police handling of a forest and land fire (karhutla) in Buluh Apo Village, Pinggir District, Bengkalis Regency. , citing Antara on September 1, 2026, reported that Bengkalis Police Chief AKBP Fahrian Saleh Siregar said the legal action formed part of efforts to address forest and land fires while also taking action against suspected illegal activities in forest areas. “This disclosure demonstrates the seriousness of the Indonesian National Police in handling forest and land fires while taking action against illegal activities carried out in forest areas,” Fahrian said. JFP was named a suspect on August 29, 2026,...

Indonesia’s Domestic Palm Oil Consumption Reaches 12.99 Million Tons as Sustainable Market Gains Momentum

The growing importance of domestic demand was highlighted by Angga Prathama Putra, Sustainable Commodities Lead at WWF Indonesia, during the Regional Learning Forum on Sustainable Commodities in Jakarta. Angga said strengthening the domestic market should form part of a broader strategy to transform sustainable commodity markets, alongside efforts to improve upstream production and expand international market access. Data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) showed that domestic palm oil consumption reached 12.99 million tons during January-June 2026, up 5.48% from 12.27 million tons during the same period a year earlier. In June alone, domestic consumption stood at around 2.20...

GAPKI and PWI Strengthen Media Partnership to Promote Sustainable Palm Oil Governance

The press is seen as playing a crucial role in delivering balanced and critical coverage while helping the public better understand the industry’s sustainability practices. The issue emerged during a journalism workshop jointly organized by the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) and the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) in Yogyakarta. The forum was designed to broaden journalists’ understanding of the palm oil industry while strengthening communication around sustainable and environmentally responsible plantation practices. GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono said Yogyakarta was deliberately chosen because the city is not known as a major palm oil-producing region. The workshop therefore provided an opportunity to...

Indonesia’s Palm Oil Exports Surge 64.08% in June 2026, Reaching US$3.92 Billion

The increase was mainly driven by stronger exports of processed palm oil products, crude palm oil (CPO) and processed palm kernel oil (PKO) products. Processed palm oil exports reached 2.357 million tonnes in June, up 66% from 1.423 million tonnes in the previous month. CPO exports recorded an even sharper increase, jumping from 31,000 tonnes in May to 335,000 tonnes in June, representing growth of around 980%. As reported by , citing an official statement from GAPKI received on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), exports of processed palm kernel oil products also increased from 55,000 tonnes to 116,000 tonnes, or approximately...