KUD Sari Makmur

Strengthening organization and keeping members healthy from Covid-19

A smallholder cooperative in the Village of Rejosari in Musi Rawas of South Sumatra focuses on strengthening its structural organization since it received sustainable certification from RSPO three years ago. Meanwhile, it can provide regular basic medical tests during the Covid-19 pandemic to its members, thanks to the RSPO Credit sale.

The Head of the RSPO Division of the Cooperative, Haryanto, said that the group held the program occasionally to encourage the members to take care of their health. “At this stage, this is what we can do to improve the welfare of our members. We provide health tests so members can fathom their health condition and give a greater understanding of how the results can impact their healthcare.”

He added that the program, assisted by a team of paramedics from Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra, has a further target; to show all villagers that maintaining healthiness is a good thing, especially during the pandemic like the world is experiencing now.

He explained the medical test is a simple one that includes vital sign measurements of the most basic physical functions such as body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. However, he continued, asking and encouraging the cooperative members to come undertaking the medical examination was tough, even though it is free of charge.

“We have to admit that some people – which reflects most villagers – are reluctant to undergo the test because they are afraid of the results. They are rather not having any examination. But now the situation is better with more members have then participated.”

Haryanto pointed out thanks to the RSPO Credit sale, the KUD (Rural Unit Cooperative) Sari Makmur also provide personal protective equipment to its member to avoid occupational hazards in the plantations. “The health and safety of our members is our priority. Therefore, we allocate funds to ensure everybody wearing the right protective equipment.”

He recalled the challenges when Lonsum introduced the concept of sustainability and the RSPO certification process. “Most farmers do not understand the terminology and do not understand the importance of the standards. Slowly, we could approach them to participate in the socialization and later attended the training sessions starting from harvesting and fertilizing. They are also becoming more aware of the waste management as part of the plantation maintenance.”

He said the farmers have now realized and understood the importance of sustainability. “For example, farmers planted various trees along the river banks to preserve it. Also, farmers are now following the procedure of applying fertilizer,” he added.

“Other good things since Sari Makmur joined RSPO are that the cooperative is in a better financial soundness, legality for land ownership is guaranteed, and much-improved safety level in the plantation.”

However, there are some internal challenges. According to Haryanto, KUD Sari Makmur has to put the third surveillance on hold this year. “The group is currently dealing with an internal problem involving particular individuals at the cooperative, which forced the group to put the third surveillance on hold. We expect we can solve this problem soon so we can catch up with organizational consolidation and everything else in early 2022.”
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Smallholders group, KUD Sari Makmur in South Sumatra of Indonesia, plays a significant role in the palm oil supply chain by applying sustainable practices because they are on the front lines to protect the ecosystem and local communities.

You can participate to get the oil palm growers to stay on the path of sustainability by purchasing the RSPO Smallholder Credit.

Total area covered by the project
703.76 Ha

Number of smallholders benefitting from this project
119 Smallholders

Number/percentage of women supported by this project
83.19% women in this project

We are currently working closely with RSPO Certified Independent Smallholders across provinces in Indonesia to provide a subset of trainings to improve their livelihoods while their certification is maintained.

More than 5,860 farmers who have implemented Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and good governance in their groups are seeking your commitment to buy their RSPO Credits through the PalmTrace platforms. Purchasing RSPO Credits supports smallholders in addressing environmental and social issues.

Representative Contact
Muhammad Nur | Group Manager | [email protected] |

Representative Contact

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KUD Sari Makmur