Overview

Aceh Tamiang is part of the world acclaimed Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The landscape includes an important remainder of lowland forest areas. It is home to highly charismatic species, such as Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran elephants, and rhinos. The regency is part of the wider Aceh Province which has 55% forest cover, which equates to around 3 million hectares.

Aceh Tamiang makes a significant contribution to Indonesia’s agricultural production, primarily through palm oil, coffee and rubber. The eastern region of Aceh, spanning across Aceh Timur and Aceh Tamiang, faces a significant deforestation threat due to palm oil expansion. 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.

The work in Indonesia aims to achieve deforestation-free and inclusive palm oil supply chains – safeguarding the integrity of the renowned Leuser ecosystem while supporting sustainable development.

About NORAD

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) aims to achieve the goals of Norwegian development policy and promote sustainable development. NORAD is a major donor of the work in Aceh Tamiang, enabling conditions that support investment in the landscape. The program supports deforestation initiatives and capacity building for smallholders, including help with the certification process.

Climate change and deforestation

Forests in the landscape play a crucial role in carbon storage and climate regulation. Palm oil expansion poses an increased threat of climate change and deforestation. Aceh Province lost 10,600 hectares in 2023.

The Aceh Tamiang government and major palm oil buyers including PepsiCo and Unilever are working together to decouple palm oil from deforestation. The Aceh Green Growth Plan aims to increase areas of forest protection including High Conservation Value (HCV) areas. A deforestation monitoring and verification team has been established. Thanks to a collaborative approach, the deforestation trend is being reversed in Aceh Tamiang. The goal to reduce deforestation rates by 50% by 2028 has already been achieved, demonstrating the success of the landscape approach.

Sustainable land management

Aceh Tamiang has 29% forest cover, equating to 215,000 hectares. It has 28% palm oil cover, of which 50% is managed by smallholder farmers. Landscape governance is being developed through a multistakeholder approach.

A buffer zone management model is being developed in Aceh Province to increase forest protection and regeneration, promote sustainable palm oil sourcing, and improve livelihoods. Smallholder farmers are being provided with climate smart agricultural training to support an approach which does not degrade the landscape. NISCOPS aims to increase the productivity of oil palm plants and implement NDPE principles in the supply chain. The government, palm oil companies, and IPM are also exploring the possibility of a Deforestation and Conversion Free (DFC) palm oil supply chain in Aceh Tamiang.

Improving livelihoods

NISCOPS aims to integrate smallholders into a deforestation-free sustainable palm oil supply chain, whilst bridging the gap towards a living income. Smallholder farmers are benefiting from Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) training and are access to finance, certification, and markets, particularly in remote areas. Public-private partnerships, working with government, business and smallholders, support local farmers to achieve Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification. These capacity-building activities help to improve smallholder productivity and harvest quality, whilst cutting production costs.

Summary of Achievements

All countries in the NISCOPS program report against three global impact areas: Improved Land Use, Better Incomes and Inclusive Markets.

Improved land use

The production of sustainable palm oil and its derivatives in Aceh Tamiang has increased by 30%.

50,000 hectares of forest are now under protection, and 800 hectares are under restoration.

Deforestation has declined from 488 hectares in 2018 to 107 hectares in 2023.

Better Incomes

2730 Smallholder farmers have benefitted from targeted Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) training and support to achieve RSPO and ISPO certification.

Smallholders have organized themselves into farmers’ groups, resulting in increased yields and income.

Smallholder productivity increased by up to 50% in the regency.

Inclusive Markets

2,200 farmers have become RSPO and ISPO certified in Aceh Tamiang, marking the first achievement of its kind in Indonesia.

Support the Aceh Tamiang region

There are a diverse range of partners – government, NGOs, the private sector and host communities – engaged in sustainably developing Aceh Tamiang. The landscape presents a fantastic opportunity to create a deforestation-free environment, whilst fostering sustainable livelihoods. Smallholders contribute almost a third of Indonesia's 52-million tons of crude palm oil production. Currently there are 307,214 tons of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) of palm oil or 15.2 tons/per hectare produced in the region every year. This has increased from 275,919 tons in 2022.

There are many opportunities to support this incredible landscape. Please get in touch with IDH’s Indonesian team to find out more.