Sabah reaffirms commitment to sustainable palm oil production
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah reaffirms its commitment to the production of sustainable palm oil in the territory by seeking to comply with the Jurisdictional Approach Piloting Framework developed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2025.
The RSPO is currently the most recognised international certification for the production of sustainable palm oil.
The Government of Sabah first announced its commitment to the jurisdictional certification journey in 2015.
In 2021, RSPO produced the Jurisdictional Approach Piloting Framework as the guiding document for jurisdictional certification.
In 2023, Sabah was recognized at the RSPO’s Annual Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, to have achieved Step 1 out of a four-step process.
This initiative in Sabah is coined as the Jurisdictional Approach to Sustainable Palm Oil (JASPO).
On May 2 and 3, RSPO and JASPO working group stakeholders convened for a workshop to discuss the implementation of Step 2 of the framework.
“The next two years will entail the complete development and adoption of the framework,” says Sernam Singh, Secretary of Sabah’s Natural Resources Office, adding “It will require a careful and unique approach to suit necessary solutions for complex issues in the state – ranging from labour issues to protection of high conservation value areas. Setting up mechanisms to achieve this will prepare Sabah for full compliance of national and international sustainability standards, including the EU Deforestation Regulation.”
He further adds, “The Jurisdictional Certification Steering Committee sees this as a testament of the state’s pioneering spirit. We wish to thank all contributors and collaborators who have led us to progress this far.” Sabah produces 24% of Malaysia’s production of crude palm oil and around 6% of global production.
Led by the Jurisdictional Certification Steering Committee (JCSC) – co-chaired by the Natural Resources Office and
Sabah Forestry Department, and comprising of representatives of government, industry, and civil societies – JASPO collectively paves the way towards the realization of making Sabah a sustainable producer of palm oil on the global stage.
Datuk Frederick Kugan, Sabah’s Chief Conservator of Forests, states, “A landscapebased sustainability approach for the palm oil industry has been a groundbreaking journey where Sabah has shown its commitment and the ability to adapt to unchartered territory. The knowledge we have gained in the process is invaluable and will benefit not just Sabah’s palm oil industry but also other sectors and regions embarking on similar pursuits.”
The Sabah JASPO Initiative stands as a global trailblazer, the first initiative aimed towards state-wide sustainable palm oil certification. Sabah is one of three pilots in the world that is committed to implement this unique approach (the other pilots being the Seruyan district of Indonesia and Ecuador in Latin America).