Jeannette Gurung presented the W+ Standard at the’Partnering for Sustainability: Scaling Partnerships for Scaled Impact’ workshop, organized byAsia Clean InnovationsandPublic Affairs Asia’s Sharing Value Asia initiative, held from 11 to 12 June in Bangkok. This workshop was designed to collectively assemble business leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), government, and multilateral organizations in ASEAN to explore ways the sectors are currently working together to drive sustainability, and to identify opportunities for building upon such collaborations. The two day workshop followed the structured brainstorming methodology which provided an effective platform for cross-sectoral dialogue.
Interesting case studies were presented which showcased the complex relationship building processes required to make, and sustain, cross-sectoral engagement. One of the case studies was the partnership of Cargill Malaysia with Malaysian-based social enterprise Wild Asia and the international nongovernmental organization, Solidaridad, which provided technical assistance, training and capacity building to over 2,500 independent oil palm smallholders. It is one of the first programs in Malaysia that is focused on sustainable palm oil production through partnerships with independent smallholders, palm oil dealers, mills and refiners. The goal is to help smallholders employ sustainable palm oil productionpractices, to bring about higher oil palm fruit yields and increase farmer incomes. The multi-party program is in line with the government’s efforts to help smallholders and independent millers meet sustainable palm oil production standards in Malaysia.
This workshop is supported by the Sida-SEI Strategic Fund initiative that seeks to demonstrate to participants the benefits of partnership in their everyday practices to ultimately benefit the citizens of the region.
