Press Releases

JAKARTA, 15 April 2010 – Two leading experts from Indonesia’s Bogor Agricultural Institute (“IPB”), will provide independent expert assistance over verification of the claims in recent Greenpeace reports. Prof. Dr. Bambang Hero Saharjo and Dr. Ir. H. Yanto Santosa were requested to aid the independent verification to be conducted by two Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (“RSPO”) approved certified bodies, Control Union Certification (“CUC”) and BSI Group (“BSI”). The two experts are senior academicians and forestry conservation researchers at IPB’s Faculty of Forestry.

PT SMART Tbk. (“SMART”), in consultation with Unilever, requested expert assistance from IPB in order to support the verification of Greenpeace reports with independent advice, technical expertise and objectivity.

“We would like to ensure that this verification process is as transparent, independent and accountable as possible. As such, apart from engaging internationally renowned and RSPO approved certification bodies, we also requested Indonesia’s leading agricultural institute to participate in the process,” stated Daud Dharsono, SMART’s President Director.

Prof. Saharjo is a leading expert in the field of forest protection and fire ecology. He has worked with various organizations as a forest fire expert. He was the WWF-Indonesia Forest Fire Expert in 1999 and was also a team member for the Indonesian Government Regulation in 2001. Prof. Saharjo is a prolific researcher and has written numerous publications focusing on fire ecology, forest fire prevention, fire impact and environmental destruction due to illegal logging. Prof. Saharjo holds a PhD in Forestry from Kyoto University in Japan.

Dr. Santosa has over 25 years of experience in the area of agriculture and forestry. He currently holds several top teaching positions at IPB, the internationally recognized state university focused on tropical agriculture and life sciences. He is also the Head of the Indonesian Wildlife Preservation Communities. Dr. Santosa has written several publications on biodiversity and forest conservation. He also held positions as the Education and Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in France between 1999 and 2004, led the steering committee for the Biodiversity Conservation Program between Indonesia and Malaysia during 1997 to 1999 and was a guest lecturer at two French universities, Université de Bordeaux III and Université d’Aix-Marseille III until 2004. Dr. Santosa holds a PhD from Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III) France.

On 1 April 2010, SMART appointed CUC and BSI, two of the world’s leading certification bodies, to conduct a thorough verification of the recent Greenpeace reports relating to sustainable palm oil production. Both organizations are RSPO approved certification bodies. The two agencies have been jointly appointed, following consultation with Unilever, who currently chairs the RSPO. The appointment of CUC and BSI would ensure clarity through independent, scientifically sound and certified methods of verification of the issues raised in the Greenpeace reports.

Dean of IPB’s Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Ir. Hendrayanto, MAgr, stated, “We are happy to be of assistance in ensuring objective observation. We hope our contributions will not only bring closure to this situation, but also benefits to the palm oil industry.” (*)

For further information:
Fajar Reksoprodjo – Corporate Communications and Public Relations Tel. : (62-21) 318 1388

Fax   : (62-21) 318 1390
Cell. : (62-881) 123 9513
(62-812) 957 3832
Email : [email protected]

About PT SMART Tbk
PT SMART Tbk (“SMART”) is one of the largest, publicly-listed, integrated palm-based consumer companies in Indonesia. SMART’s primary activities are cultivating and harvesting of palm trees, processing of fresh fruit bunches into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK), and refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine and shortening.

Founded in 1962, SMART currently has palm plantation with total coverage area of approximately 134,000 hectares (including plasma). SMART also operates 15 mills, 4 kernel crushing plants and 3 refineries.

Besides bulk and industrial oil, SMART’s refined products are also marketed under several brands such as Filma and Kunci Mas. Today, those brands have been recognized for their high quality, presently command significant market share in their respective segmentation in Indonesia.

SMART is a subsidiary of Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAR), one of the largest palm-based companies in the world which is listed on the Singapore Exchange. This relationship benefits SMART with its economic of scale in plantation management, information technology, research and development, sourcing of raw material, and access to a wide domestic and international marketing network.