Indonesia ready to strengthen oil palm smallholders globally through WCOPS
Indonesia, as leader of the World Coalition of Oil Palm Smallholders (WCOPS), is ready to strengthen oil palm smallholders, particularly in palm oil-producing countries at the global level.
WCOPS President Gulat ME Manurung stated that smallholders need to build mutually supportive relationships with corporations so that the palm oil industry provides benefits for all parties.
“Especially when facing negative campaigns about palm oil, all palm oil stakeholders must face them together,” he said in his statement in Jakarta on Monday.
Previously, Gulat, who is also Chairman of the Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders Association (Apkasindo), received the mandate as WCOPS President from 12 world oil palm smallholder associations from seven countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Honduras, and Ivory Coast—at the International Oil Palm Smallholders (IOPS) Forum 2026 in Nusantara Capital City (IKN) on Thursday (27/8/2026).
“My appointment as WCOPS President is a momentum to unite the world’s oil palm smallholders by promoting the concept of equality and mutual support with palm oil corporations, not the opposite,” he said.
The establishment of WCOPS, according to him, is part of efforts to strengthen the position of smallholders in global palm oil issues, including sustainability, traceability, fair trade, fresh fruit bunch prices, productivity, and relationships with corporations.
He expressed hope that WCOPS can make the palm oil industry more inclusive and beneficial for all—both smallholders and their families, companies, and the countries where oil palm plantations develop.
A number of representatives from seven palm oil-producing countries conveyed their hopes to Indonesia as the leader of WCOPS for the next five-year period.
Paul Kwabena Amaning, National President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG), expressed hope that Indonesia’s leadership in WCOPS can help fight for price equality for oil palm smallholders in various countries.
“We very much hope that Indonesia, as the largest palm oil country, can help oil palm smallholders throughout the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Oil Palm Smallholders Chairman Tuan Haji Adzmi said his side supports Indonesia as WCOPS President, because Indonesia’s oil palm plantation area is indeed the largest and smallholders manage nearly 50 percent of Indonesia’s oil palm plantation area.
Apkasindo representative Delima Azhari assessed that the election of Gulat Manurung as WCOPS President is highly synergistic with Indonesia’s strategic palm oil programmes, particularly in increasing the benefits of palm oil for palm oil-producing countries such as Indonesia.