**Pioneering Sustainable Palm Oil through Jurisdictional Certification in Seruyan**

| **Seruyan District in Central Kalimantan is one of three global pilots for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Jurisdictional Approach to Certification. Through jurisdictional certification, the district is protecting nature and human rights while supporting sustainable commodity sourcing at scale. By aligning government leadership, community participation, and market incentives, Seruyan demonstrates how an entire jurisdiction can achieve sustainable palm oil production that protects forests and biodiversity while improving community livelihoods.** |
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**Systemic Challenge: Balancing Growth and Sustainability in Palm Oil** \n 

As the world’s largest producer of palm oil, Indonesia’s palm oil sector remains a key driver of national economic growth.

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In 2023, Indonesia produced 56 million tonnes of palm oil, accounting for 54 percent of global exports and contributing 4.5 percent to GDP, while supporting more than 16 million jobs across the value chain.\[1\] Much of this economic significance is rooted in the sector’s rapid expansion during the early 2000s, when oil palm production grew sharply in response to rising global and domestic demand.\[2,3\]

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However, this rapid growth has come at significant environmental and social costs. Plantation expansion has driven deforestation, peatland degradation, biodiversity loss, and recurring social conflicts. Most deforestation associated with oil palm expansion occurred between 2000 and 2012, a period marked by large-scale plantation development, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan\[4\]. During this time, forest loss accelerated alongside the expansion of oil palm and pulpwood plantations. While deforestation linked to oil palm declined after 2012, with some fluctuations, the impacts of this earlier expansion remain deeply embedded in Indonesia’s landscapes.

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Although deforestation from oil palm peaked in 2012, its legacy persists. Historical land conversion and overlapping concessions have fragmented habitats, displaced communities, and created complex tenure disputes. The palm oil boom has also deepened social inequalities. Smallholders, many of whom are Indigenous or local farmers, face persistent challenges, including land legality issues, limited market access, limited institutional support, and high certification costs. Compliance with new sustainability regulations, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), may further marginalize those who are unable to meet the traceability and legality requirements.

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Despite numerous voluntary sustainability initiatives and corporate commitments for sustainable palm oil, systemic barriers remain. Fragmented governance, conflicting policies, and weak enforcement have slowed progress. It has become clear that sustainability cannot rely solely on individual producers or companies; it must be embedded in the governance and economic systems that shape land use and production.

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In this context, Central Kalimantan—responsible for around 10 percent of global palm oil production—lies at the heart of this transformation. Seruyan District, one of its largest producers, contains vital peat domes and forests that host orangutans, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, and sun bears, alongside thousands of smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are closely tied to palm oil cultivation. The district reflects both the opportunities and challenges of achieving sustainability in Indonesia’s palm oil heartland.

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**From Plantation-Level Certification to District-Wide Transformation**

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Jurisdictional approaches to sustainable commodity production have emerged as a pathway to reducing deforestation at the subnational level. These approaches aim to address the environmental and social impacts of commodity production through local government leadership and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

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Under this model, certain principles and criteria of sustainable supply chain certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) or the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), are regulated at the district level, with specific responsibilities “upwardly delegated” to local governments. District authorities coordinate planning, align regulations, and provide the enabling conditions for all producers within the jurisdiction to comply. \n 

The approach is both practical and inclusive. It simplifies and reduces certification costs, facilitates data collection at scale, and ensures that environmental and social safeguards, such as forest protection, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and labor rights, are applied across the district through formal policies rather than voluntary commitments.

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For smallholders, the jurisdictional approach makes sustainable certification more accessible by reducing financial and technical barriers. Group management at the district scale, transparent monitoring, and pooled resources help them overcome challenges such as certification costs and limited technical knowledge.

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Globally, the RSPO has formalized this framework through a Stepwise Jurisdictional Approach, a four-stage process for certifying palm oil production at the jurisdictional level. Central to the jurisdictional approach is government leadership and active multi-stakeholder collaboration. The collaborative approach creates opportunities for dialogue and convergence of common goals across government, business, and communities.

 \n  ![Figure 1. RSPO Jurisdictional Approach to certification model: a stepwise approach](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/interventionentity/c4202744-ad6d-406e-9647-c24d5a0b5f32.jpg)  ![Figure 2. Upwardly Delegated” RSPO Principles](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/interventionentity/4a62274c-0a76-4b5c-911b-d2e2cf3289e3.jpg)**Seruyan’s Journey as a Global Pilot for RSPO Jurisdictional Certification**

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Seruyan District in Central Kalimantan is among three global pilots for the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach, alongside Sabah (Malaysia) and Ecuador’s Amazon region.

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Covering 341,312 hectares of oil-palm plantations, the district has demonstrated political commitment to sustainability since 2016, when the former district head voluntarily pledged to pursue jurisdictional certification.

 \n  ![Figure 3. Land Cover and Land Use in Seruyan District, Central Kalimantan](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/interventionentity/ae8861fd-9712-4e81-a05b-986237b22f93.jpg)

This commitment gave birth to the Mosaik Initiative, Kaleka’s flagship landscape program in Central Kalimantan that works to protect and restore nature in major commodity-producing areas. The initiative supports local and Indigenous communities in adopting regenerative agriculture and conserving forests, creating a district-level model where sustainable and inclusive production improves livelihoods while safeguarding ecosystems.

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In 2016, Seruyan established the Jurisdictional Certification Working Group (JCWG), a multi-stakeholder body comprising government agencies, companies, farmers’ associations, civil society organizations, and academics. Formalized through a District Head Decree, the JCWG serves as the coordinating forum for planning, implementation, and monitoring of the district’s progress toward RSPO jurisdictional certification, while facilitating dialogue and alignment among all stakeholders.

A defining strength of Seruyan’s approach lies in establishing institutional structures that ensure long-term continuity and local ownership. The Jurisdictional Entity (JE)—called Aspiran—was established in 2024 to coordinate implementation and will serve as the RSPO-recognized body representing the district. Its 11 members include plantation companies, farmer cooperatives, and NGOs such as Kaleka, HCV Network, and CNV Internationaal. The JE will facilitate training, land mapping, and audits for companies and smallholders across the district to comply with the principles and criteria for RSPO certification.

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Complementing this structure is Gawi Bapakat, Seruyan’s district-wide sustainable village development program. Through this mechanism, villages commit to protecting forests and human rights in exchange for financial and technical support for sustainable livelihoods. Together, the jurisdictional approach and Gawi Bapakat form a governance ecosystem that links district-level policies with community-level actions.

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**Progress and Achievements**

By the end of 2024, Seruyan had achieved around 70 percent of the requirements for RSPO Step 2, marking significant progress toward district-wide sustainable certification. Key milestones include:


1. __Policy and Governance__
   * Fourteen district regulations have been issued, including those on the Sustainable Palm Oil Action Plan (RAD-KSB), land rights, Indigenous recognition, conflict management, high conservation value (HCV) area management, labor protection, and protection of women and children.
   * The Jurisdictional Certification Working Group (JCWG) coordinates Seruyan’s progress toward RSPO jurisdictional certification through three sub-working groups on (1) HCV/HCS protection and deforestation reduction, (2) social conflict prevention, and (3) empowerment of farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, supported by a professional secretariat for coordination and documentation.
   * The Jurisdictional Entity (JE) Aspiran was formally established and will be registered as an RSPO Jurisdictional member. The JE is currently developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for its internal governance and for the implementation of jurisdictional certification, including member facilitation.
   * A “pilot within a pilot” is being trialed with two companies, which are undergoing certification using the RSPO conventional standards, while the audit process simultaneously assesses the jurisdiction for upwardly delegated criteria.
2. __Environmental Progress__
   * With technical support from HCV Network (HCVN) and Kaleka, the district finalized an indicative map of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas covering 969,691 hectares. These maps guide land-use planning, identifying “Go” and “No-Go” zones for oil-palm expansion.
   * A Land Use Change Analysis (LUCA) revealed that around 121,000 hectares of forest had been converted between 2005 and 2023, forming the basis to determine jurisdiction-level liabilities under RSPO’s Remediation and Compensation Procedure (RaCP).
   * A deforestation monitoring system has been established in collaboration with Nusantara Atlas.
   * 9,714 hectares of forest have been officially protected under the social forestry and village regulation schemes, and 404 hectares of degraded land have been replanted through community-based restoration.
3. __Social Issues and Rights__
   * 96 conflicts have been recorded, with 11 resolved through mediation, plasma provision, or compensation agreements facilitated by the district-level Integrated Conflict Resolution Team and the JCWG.
   * 403 paralegals across 81 villages now serve as “bridges to justice” at the grassroots level, documenting cases, facilitating mediation, and supporting the drafting of local regulations. Establishing paralegal units has now become a requirement for villages participating in the Gawi Bapakat program.
   * 19 companies participated in capacity-building programs on gender-responsive dialogue and collective bargaining, strengthening 16 trade unions, 12 Bipartite Cooperation Institutions (LKS Bipartite), and 9 Gender Committees, and supporting 4 new Collective Bargaining Agreements, representing over 12,000 workers.
   * In 2024, unions formed the Independent Labour Union Secretariat, giving workers a stronger collective voice.
4. __Smallholder Inclusion__
   * 6,091 smallholders (12,813 ha) have been mapped out of an estimated 20,021 smallholder farmers managing 53,043 hectares in Seruyan.
   * 2,014 smallholders (4,316 ha) are RSPO-certified.
   * 859 smallholders (1,173 ha) are ISPO-certified.
   * By enabling smallholder representation within the JCWG and JE, the district ensures that certification benefits are shared equitably.
5. Moving to multi-commodity certification
   * The district initiated a pilot Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) in collaboration with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to prepare for sustainable aquaculture certification, with an initial pilot planned in Sungai Undang Village.
   * Engagement is underway with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to explore jurisdictional certification for timber and non-timber commodities, including carbon.

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**__Lessons Learned__**

Seruyan’s journey offers valuable lessons on what it takes to make sustainability work in practice by linking governance, community participation, and market alignment at the district level.

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Embedding certification principles into district planning instruments, such as the Regional Development Plan (RPJMD) and the District Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil (RAD-KSB), ensures that environmental and social safeguards are integrated into long-term government priorities.

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The experience also shows that multi-stakeholder coordination is essential. Ongoing facilitation by a professional secretariat helps maintain collaboration and transparency among government, private sector, and community stakeholders. Strong political support from the district head and consistent alignment across technical agencies have also been key to maintaining momentum.

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From a technical standpoint, Seruyan’s jurisdictional HCV assessment offers a cost-efficient model for replication in other districts, replacing fragmented, company-level assessments with a single, science-based reference for all land-use decisions.

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Perhaps one of the most important lessons comes from the ground. Villages are willing to protect forests and adopt sustainable practices when they perceive tangible benefits. Gawi Bapakat demonstrates that sustainability must go hand in hand with economic incentives, whether through regenerative agriculture, payment for ecosystem services, or better market access for sustainably produced and certified products.

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**Looking Ahead**

As of 2025, Seruyan is entering the final stage of RSPO Step 2, with the goal of achieving full Step 2 status by 2026. Key next steps include:

* Completing and formalizing the definitive High Conservation Value (HCV) area designation at the district level.
* Finalizing and publicizing the Go and No-Go Zone maps, and integrating them into the district’s spatial plan (RTRW).
* Finalizing the Land Use Change Analysis (LUCA) methodology and determining the LUCA liability as the basis for jurisdictional Remediation and Compensation (RaCP) implementation.
* Issuing district regulations on fire prevention, jurisdictional FPIC, HCV management, and human rights protection.
* Registering Aspiran, the Jurisdictional Entity, as an official RSPO member. Supporting two pilot companies to achieve certification under the JE.
* Advancing pilot certifications for aquaculture and forest commodities, expanding the jurisdictional approach beyond palm oil.

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Neighboring districts such as Kotawaringin Barat have already begun adapting lessons from Seruyan to design their own jurisdictional sustainability models. This ripple effect reflects growing momentum toward coordinated, district-level systems that move beyond isolated certification efforts and promote environmental protection, human rights, and economic opportunity across jurisdictions.

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***__References__***

*\[1\] Benedict, J., & Heilmayr, R. (2024). Indonesian palm oil exports and deforestation. Trase. <https://doi.org/10.48650/0ZP9-GH11>
\[2\] PwC Indonesia. (2011). Palm oil plantation: Industry landscape, regulatory and financial overview (2012 update) \[Report\].<https://www.forestsnews.org/17798/fact-file-indonesia-world-leader-in-palm-oil-production>
\[4\] Clarke, E. (2013, December 6). Missing the wood for the trees? How to make supply chains sustainable. Eco-Business. <https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/missing-wood-trees-how-make-supply-chains-sustainable/>*

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