IDH works on three key verticals of convening, confidential disclosure and linking buyers to VSA in the India program. Palm oil lies at the core of India’s edible oil market owing to its low prices and the country’s need for food security. As the largest net importer of palm oil, India consumes 13.5% of the global production – making it one of the largest markets for the commodity. NI-SCOPS also targets markets for palm oil and is actively engaged with the palm oil market in India. NI-SCOPS focuses on landscapes with large numbers of independent smallholders and mills, which have proven to be difficult to certify, and where currently most sustainability problems persist. The results of the program will be shared with all NI-SCOPS partners. By working with a limited number of metrics, continuous improvement can be measured, compared and aggregated at the national level. Methodologies for data collection and analysis are being developed in partnership with national palm oil knowledge institutes. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) corresponding to the three dimensions of Climate-Smart Agriculture (livelihoods, climate change adaptation and mitigation) have been agreed upon. In 2019, technical advisory committees were set-up in each country through which IDH and Solidaridad are engaged with government representatives and knowledge institutes. Implementation is coordinated by IDH and Solidaridad in strong cooperation with farmers and the private sector. With support from the Government of the Netherlands, three National Initiatives for Sustainable Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NI-SCOPS) have been set-up in cooperation with the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria. Together, they have designed a new way to enable palm oil producing countries to notably contribute the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and Solidaridad believe there is a solution. Further polarization of this debate or a radical boycott of palm oil does not solve the problem. Palm oil’s impact on changes to land use and greenhouse gas emissions is giving rise to tensions between exporting and importing countries. The global expansion of this sector is associated with significant sustainability challenges.

While the countrys domestic production is nearly 7-8 million. Millions of smallholders and workers earn their livelihoods in the palm oil sector, a sector that significantly contributes to food security, employment, gross domestic product (GDP) and trade balance of many producing countries. Despite being an agrarian country, India imports edible oil worth US 8.75-9.43 bn annually.

Edible oil production by country