Everyday, 25 quintillion (25,000,000,000,000,000,000) bytes of data are produced. As an integral part of our times, data can help businesses focus their efforts to implement responsible sourcing commitments against deforestation and exploitation of people.

Driven by data from Earthworm’s Tools for Transformation system, representatives from 16 mills supplying palm oil to Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) gathered to learn about Best Management Practices on Peat and Fire Prevention Systems. The training – held from 18 to 20 February, 2020 at Santika Radial Hotel, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia – was developed based on results from the Tools for Transformation(T4T) self-assessment questionnaire, which LDC had sent to suppliers in October 2018. The thematic training was part of LDC’s Palm Sustainability strategy – to engage and assist suppliers in obtaining practical knowledge of challenges in the palm oil industry.

During his opening remarks, LDC Indonesia Sustainability Manager Denny Turino conveyed that LDC wanted to support suppliers in implementing sustainability practices. Given the effect of 2019 forest fires and haze in Indonesia, he hoped the training would yield practical knowledge that would then be implemented across suppliers’ operational units.

On the second day of the training, participants visited the South Sumatra Provincial peat restoration area in Sepucuk. Participants were presented actual evidence of how peat restoration effort is possible. They were also tasked with gathering data, and developing peat and fire prevention plans it two areas as a case study.

Based on feedback, participants found the focus on practical knowledge and field simulations to be beneficial, as it represented the actual situation and challenges in Indonesian oil palm plantations.