The RGE group of companies and entrepreneur Mr. Sukanto Tanoto, company leader and founder of the Tanoto Foundation, hold sustainability in the highest realm of esteem when it comes to the business’s daily practices, hence the birth of the Sekolah Sawit Lestari program.
As part of the corporate social responsibility initiatives hosted by Asian Agri, this sustainability project is acutely focused on teaching school students on how to cultivate palm oil trees in the most environmentally friendly way possible, with the mission of producing a work force who has the knowledge and know-how on how to best preserve Indonesia’s greatest asset – palm oil.
Mr. Tanoto and the Tanoto Foundation have developed the Sekolah Sawit Lestari program with the intention of teaching students about the entire lifecycle of sustainable palm oil cultivation – from the planting of palm oil seedlings, to nurturing them into healthy, prolific trees to best harvesting their produce for sale. The program also channels the proceeds of palm oil product sales back into the school itself in order to fund a number of activities for the hard-working students. The program centers on three fundamental values:
- To foster a greater understanding among the local community on sustainable palm oil management practices
- Enrich the school curriculum with practical knowledge
- Supplement the school’s budget to support more student activities
Indonesia is the world’s largest producer and consumer of palm oil, accounting for approximately half of the world’s supply. Consequently, Mr. Tanoto, together with all those employed by the RGE group of companies endeavor to practice the most sustainable palm oil cultivation in order to preserve Indonesia’s most vital pillar of the economy.
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Mr. Rizal, Regional Secretariat of Batanghari District, conducts first oil palm tree planting to mark the inauguration of Sekolah Sawit Lestari program.
Image credit: Inside-RGE