WISSE Annual Report 2020 just released

MARIPOSA funding has helped 200 Smallholders to become certified

WISSE is the first programme under MARIPOSA, a crowdfunding initiative created by Olenex together with its customers. By implementing programmes like WISSE, Olenex customers are able to directly contribute to change on the ground in the Latin American palm oil industry. A great example of #SharedResponsibility.

The Coronavirus also has an impact on WISSE. During spring-time, when the virus hit Honduras, the farmers and the local training team had to quickly adapt to the new situation. The pandemic forced us to innovate on our outreach and training approach. Instead of training sessions in rooms packed with people, trainers now meet preferably outside with fewer people, while respecting social distancing rules and wearing masks. We further developed short animated videos and graphics that can be sent via messaging services to those farmers with smartphones. All the measures were effectively taken to protect the farmers and staff from infection while continuing the training sessions and audits.

First group of smallholders certified

During this first WISSE year, we already achieved great certification results; 200 certified smallholders. This success was only possible because the respective smallholders and mills already participated in the previous smallholder programme WISSH (Wilmar Smallholder Support Honduras) and continued their sustainability efforts after WISSH came to an end in 2018. Through the WISSE programme:

• Honducaribe palm oil mill received RSPO MB certification status. This mill is owned by smallholder farmers.
• 100 smallholders, belonging to eight cooperatives of the Honducaribe palm oil mill, received RSPO certification.
• 100 smallholders from two cooperatives and 18 independent farms were added to ISCC certification of Palmasa palm oil mill.

The project coordinators are optimistic that we can still continue the certification efforts in 2021. However, a lot will depend on how the Coronavirus situation will evolve.

For more information see WISSE’s first year’s status report here.