Smallholder Programmes

Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in the palm oil industry, producing about 40% of the world’s palm oil. They also have a critical role in helping Wilmar achieve our business and sustainability goals. We therefore seek to promote an inclusive model that integrates these players into the global sustainable supply chain.

Wilmar is continuously working with its smallholder suppliers to identify ways of improving their agricultural practices towards global sustainability standards and higher production yields. We also work with partner organisations to develop programmes aimed at facilitating the inclusion of independent smallholders into sustainable supply chains.

Wilmar has scheme smallholder and independent smallholder programmes, which is offered to smallholders based on whether or not a smallholder is defined as part of a scheme or is independent. Wilmar defines scheme smallholders as those smallholders that have existing development credit agreements with Wilmar. This categorization may differ from the reporting definitions set by RSPO ACOP which requires all smallholders that are included as part of a company’s RSPO certification to be classed as scheme smallholders. For Wilmar, our RSPO ACOP therefore reports all smallholders that continue to have contract sales agreements as “scheme smallholders”.

Every year, smallholder maps that are under the ownership or control of Wilmar are submitted as part of the Wilmar’s concession maps under the RSPO ACOP.