Sustainable Palm Oil Production and Procurement Project on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation (SPOPP CLIMA)

CONTEXT

Palm oil is a significant economic crop for many countries around the world, Thailand included. In the past, the rapid growth of palm oil production without social and environmental responsibility has caused significant negative impacts. These include biodiversity loss due to the encroachment of conservation areas such as forests, peatlands, and wetlands for palm oil plantations, the misuse of chemicals leading to water contamination, and even land conflicts and the use of illegal labour. Therefore, a shift towards sustainable palm oil and oil palm production and processing, from upstream production to downstream processing, is urgently needed to mitigate the impacts on the economy, society and the environment.

Another global challenge facing the agricultural sector is climate change, or the ‘collapse of the Earth’. It is undeniable that many agricultural activities contribute to greenhouse gas or carbon emissions. At the same time, the impacts of climate change, such as increasingly severe floods and droughts, are causing widespread damage to agricultural production. Therefore, promoting farmers to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change is an urgent and unavoidable task. For oil palm plantations, there are many activities with potential both for reducing carbon emissions and adapting to climate change, such as efficient fertiliser use, increasing soil organic matter, carbon sequestration in biomass and intercropping.
Before initiating carbon reduction efforts, farmers should thoroughly understand the various activities in oil palm plantations to identify which activities are significant sources of carbon emissions and the corresponding emission levels. This information can then be used to design appropriate strategies for reducing carbon emissions. A product carbon footprint (PCF) is a crucial tool for oil palm farmers to assess the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB), the primary raw material for palm oil production and the processing of numerous palm oil derivatives such as cooking oil, biodiesel, personal care products, detergents and cosmetics.

Global Green Chemicals Public Company Limited (GGC) is a leading company committed to achieving carbon neutrality. As part of this commitment, GGC has initiated a project in collaboration with farmers to reduce carbon emissions at the very beginning of the supply chain. The SPOPP CLIMA project, which was officially launched in August 2024 with funding from GGC, implementation by GIZ, and collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, is a continuation of the successful RSPO certification of smallholder farmers under the SPOPP project. This new project focuses on empowering smallholder farmers with the knowledge and tools to calculate the carbon footprint of fresh fruit bunches and implement low-carbon farming practices. Reducing the carbon footprint not only helps mitigate climate change but also enhances the sustainability of the palm oil industry and improves the global image of Thai palm oil products.

OBJECTIVE

To serve as a model for smallholder palm oil farmers in implementing low-carbon palm oil farming practices in Thailand.

APPROACH

1. Development of a carbon footprint calculation tool for fresh fruit bunches
The project has developed a tool to calculate the carbon footprint of fresh fruit bunches produced by farmers, aligned with the guidelines and requirements of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO).

2. Data collection and carbon footprint assessment for a baseline database
The project involves collecting and analysing data on carbon emissions from farmers’ palm oil cultivation activities. These data are then used to assess the carbon footprint and establish a baseline for comparison.

3. Curriculum development and trainer training
The project involves developing a training curriculum on carbon footprint and carbon footprint calculation for fresh fruit bunches specifically for farmers. Additionally, the curriculum will be disseminated to project trainers who will then transfer the knowledge to farmers.

4. Establishment of demonstration plots for low-carbon palm oil farming practices
The project will identify suitable low-carbon palm oil farming practices and establish demonstration plots where farmers can learn and observe these practices firsthand. The demonstration plots will focus on practical and motivating approaches that farmers can easily adopt in their own farms.

5. Assessment of carbon footprint reduction for fresh fruit bunches
The project will assess the carbon footprint of fresh fruit bunches both before and after farmers have implemented low-carbon farming practices. This assessment will compare the carbon emissions before and after farmers’ participation in the project.

FINANCED BY

Global Green Chemicals Public Company Limited (GGC)

COUNTRY

Thailand

PROJECT PARTNERS

• Department of Agriculture
• Trang Sustainable Palm Oil Grower Community Enterprise Network and Trang Palm Oil Co., Ltd.
• Tubtim & Chiyo Oil Palm Community Enterprise Network and Suksomboon Palm Oil Co., Ltd. (Phangnga Branch)
• AJ Reinforce Oil Palm Sustainably Community Enterprise Network and AJ Palm Oil Co., Ltd.
• Sanfan Pela Pattana Settakit Community Enterprise and Palm Pan Lan Co., Ltd.
• Phattara Oil Palm Community Enterprise and Phatra Group Co., Ltd.
• RSPO – Phangnga Oil Palm Production Community Enterprise

PROJECT DURATION

August 2024 – July 2027

MORE INFORMATION

www.asean-agrifood.org