With the morning sun peering behind the fluffy white clouds of the central Sumatran sky, a group of students at high school SMA Negeri 11 in Desa Terusan, Jambi, are gathered around a small field learning about the proper methods of planting oil palm trees.
Here, students learn about the entire lifecycle of sustainable palm oil cultivation, from the planting of oil palm seedlings to nurturing them into healthy trees to harvesting their produce for sale. Proceeds from the sales are then rechanneled back to the school to fund enrichment activities for its students.
Fostering Sustainable Palm Oil Management Practices Through Sekolah Sawit Lestari
Mr. Rizal, Regional Secretariat of Batanghari District, Jambi, conducts first oil palm tree planting to mark the inauguration of Sekolah Sawit Lestari program in Indonesia
Palm oil production is a vital pillar of Indonesia’s economy—the world’s largest producer and consumer of the product, accounting for roughly half of the world’s supply.
To foster a greater understanding among the local community on sustainable palm oil management practices, enrich the school curriculum with practical knowledge, and to supplement the school’s budget to support more student activities, Sekolah Sawit Lestari was introduced as part of the corporate social responsibility programme at Asian Agri, one of the leading private companies in Indonesia producing crude palm oil. Asian Agri has been producing crude palm oil since 1979 and today employs around 25,000.
Check out some media reports of the Sekolah Sawit Lestari programme:
Mr. Rizal, Regional Secretariat of Batanghari District, Jambi, inaugurates the Sekolah Sawit Lestari program, witnessed by Asian Agri Management
Ini dia “Sekolah Sawit Lestari” Asian Agri di Batanghari, Oct 25: http://jambi.antaranews.com/berita/315713/ini-dia-sekolah-sawit-lestari-asian-agri-di-batanghari
Asian Agri Gandeng Sekolah Dalam Program Sekolah Sawit Lestari, Oct 25: http://jambiindependent.com/read/2016/10/25/9445/asian-agri-gandeng-sekolah-dalam-program-sekolah-sawit-lestari
Asian Agri Resmikan Sekolah Sawit Lestari Pertama di Jambi, Oct 25: http://metrojambi.com/read/2016/10/26/14874/asian-agri-resmikan-sekolah-sawit-lestari-pertama-di-jambi
Asian Agri Resmikan Sekolah Sawit Lestari Pertama, di Batanghari, Oct 25: http://jambidaily.com/detail/asian-agri-resmikan-sekolah-sawit-lestari-pertama-di-batanghari/