Overview

Aceh Province on the island of Sumatra covers most of the world acclaimed Leuser ecosystem, a global biodiversity hotspot.  It is the only place in the world where orangutans, elephants and rhinos co-exist in the wild. Aceh has 55% forest cover, which equates to around 3.2 million hectares, with 2.6 million hectares falling within the Leuser ecosystem. This includes significant tropical rainforests, peat swamps, montane, and coastal forests. These provide vital water regulation and carbon storage.   

Aceh makes a significant contribution to Indonesia’s agricultural production, primarily through palm oil, rubber, coffee and rice.  The eastern region of Aceh, spanning across Aceh Timur and Aceh Tamiang, faces a significant deforestation threat due to palm oil expansion. More than 260,000 hectares of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas lie within palm oil production zones, making the need for sustainable solutions urgent. The Aceh Sustainable Palm Oil Roadmap is working with the corporate sector to achieve a deforestation-free supply chain. 

About NISCOPS 

The National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS) - a partnership between IDH and Solidaridad - brings together key stakeholders to sustainably manage the landscape.  The program supports smallholders to implement climate-smart agriculture - improving livelihoods, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, and boosting climate change resilience.   

NISCOPS works in five landscapes around the Leuser ecosystem: Aceh Timur, Aceh Tamiang, Aceh Singkil, Aceh Utara and Aceh Subulassalem. The program aims to create deforestation-free and inclusive palm oil supply chains - safeguarding the integrity of the Leuser ecosystem while supporting sustainable development.   

Landscape Partnerships

 IDH has partnered with the Government of Aceh to develop the Green Growth Plan - a roadmap for producing sustainable commodities whilst protecting natural forests.  A buffer zone management model for the Leuser ecosystem is under development to further support forest protection, promote sustainable palm oil sourcing and improve community livelihoods. 

To implement the Aceh Sustainable Palm Oil roadmap, IDH has established co-financing projects with seven global supply chain companies: Unilever, PepsiCo, Mars, Mondelez, GAR, Musim Mas and Apical. These partnerships help build smallholders capacity, reduce deforestation, improve landscape resilience and create deforestation and conversion-free supply chains.