Utrecht, 23 2021 – Agritech company Satelligence has partnered with Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), following a three month trial, to deliver near real-time deforestation risk monitoring of GAR’s full palm oil concessions and supply chain, covering all of Indonesia. Based on GAR’s previous experience with satellite monitoring of its own estates and in some parts of its supply chain, the company has chosen to consolidate its monitoring in one system to provide a holistic overview of its supply chain impacts.
Satelligence pulls insights from supply chain asset data, satellite intelligence, and human resources to monitor on the ground risks.
As a leading integrated palm oil-based agribusiness, GAR has also acted as a leader in the sustainability transformation underway in the sector. This effort is underpinned by the GAR Social and Environmental Policy which is the roadmap guiding its sustainability journey and informing how it collaborates with suppliers, smallholders and others to realise its vision of a sustainable palm oil industry.
Demand for sustainable palm oil is transforming the supply chain. In Indonesia, deforestation linked to palm oil has declined consistently since 2012 thanks to government conservation policies and corporate deforestation-free commitments. However, the supply chain is long and complex involving many small companies and farmers. Satellite technology enables industry actors to monitor and demonstrate the implementation of their no deforestation commitments.
GAR’s Chief Operating Officer Tony Kettinger comments,
“The efforts of GAR and our suppliers to implement conservation commitments are having an impact, and reducing deforestation linked to palm oil production. Customers want the confidence that suppliers like GAR are identifying and rapidly acting on any deforestation events in its supply chain. Satelligence’s technology allows us to provide that confidence through the use of a single system.”
There are a number of hurdles in the drive to managing sustainable supply chains, such as buyers and financial institutions burdening suppliers, a rise in biased reporting, and incorrect deforestation alerts from monitoring services. Satelligence’s satellite monitoring system and AI-driven dashboard tackles these problems ensuring transparent, trustworthy data on trends, patterns and anomalies in GAR’s supply chain.
Satelligence CEO Niels Wielaard says,
“Our vision at Satelligence is to make deforestation-free commodities a reality. The majority of the global supply of palm oil comes from Indonesia, and so by partnering with businesses such as GAR, achieving a more sustainable landscape is conceivable. By making deforestation risk monitoring more credible, less-time consuming and less costly, this partnership with GAR aims to strengthen its efforts to delink palm oil to deforestation in Indonesia.”
About Satelligence
Satelligence is a leading satellite-powered geodata analytics company providing daily insights into the global performance of agricultural production and supply chain risks, such as deforestation, forest fires and flooding. We help customers including Mondelez, Unilever, Bunge, WorldBank, Rabobank, Robeco, World Wildlife Fund, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands demonstrate progress towards zero deforestation, and make the right sourcing and investment decisions. Commodities covered include palm oil, cocoa, soy, rubber, beef, pulp and paper, biomass among others. Satelligence operates from offices in Indonesia, Ghana, Bolivia, and The Netherlands.
CEO: Niels Wielaard
media@satelligence.com
About Golden Agri-Resources
GAR is one of the leading palm oil plantation companies with a total planted area of 499,770 hectares (including plasma smallholders) as at 30 September 2020, located in Indonesia. It has integrated operations focused on the production of palm-based edible oil and fat. Founded in 1996, GAR was listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1999 and has a market capitalisation of US$1.3 billion as at 30 September 2020. Flambo International Limited, an investment company, is currently GAR’s largest shareholder, with a 50.52 percent stake.
GAR has several subsidiaries, including PT SMART Tbk which was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1992. GAR is focused on responsible palm oil production. In Indonesia, its primary activities include cultivating and harvesting of oil palm trees; processing of fresh fruit bunch into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel; refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine, shortening, biodiesel and oleo-chemicals; as well as merchandising palm products throughout the world. It also has operations in China and India including a deep-sea port, oilseed crushing plant, production capabilities for refined edible oil products as well as other food products such as noodles.
Anita Neville
Senior Vice President, Group Corporate Communications
anita.neville@goldenagri.com.sg