Source: WWF-Malaysia’s Facebook Post
WWF-Malaysia remains committed to advancing the jurisdictional approach (JA) for sustainable palm oil production. In recent discussions with the Sabah Jurisdictional Approach for Sustainable Palm Oil (JASPO Sabah), we explored an exciting next step: progressing toward a pilot sub-jurisdiction certification in the Tabin landscape.
This effort centres on achieving and supporting JA steps for certification, first by putting the necessary systems, practices, and monitoring frameworks in place across Sabah, and then by moving towards formal certification to validate that these systems are working effectively to meet sustainability standards. Progress is tracked through practical, measurable indicators at the landscape, district, and sub-jurisdiction levels, focusing on:
Strengthening land-use planning, improving transparency in permitting and monitoring, and enhancing coordination among government agencies and stakeholders.
Safeguarding High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) areas, maintaining forest cover, and protecting key species such as orangutans, elephants, and banteng.
Promoting the uptake of RSPO certification among smallholders and medium-sized growers, encouraging best management practices, and increasing traceability within supply chains.
Supporting fair employment, addressing land tenure challenges, improving livelihoods for smallholders, and ensuring that local communities have a voice in decision-making.
By collaborating closely with our partners and stakeholders, we aim to address practical challenges on the ground and drive measurable, lasting progress toward a certified sustainable landscape. From our experience, we’ve seen that meaningful change can only occur when the government takes a leadership role, especially in regions like Tabin and Tawau-Kunak, where medium-sized and smallholders make up the majority of non-RSPO-certified growers. The challenges in these areas are often too complex for individual growers to tackle alone. That’s why we’re partnering with the JASPO Secretariat to address these issues at the sub-jurisdictional level—an innovative approach that has never been tried before.
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