Leading palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) achieved 99.8% traceability-to-plantation (TTP) for Indonesian palm oil in 2025.
In its 2025 Sustainability Report, the company said it also achieved 100% traceability-to-the-mill (TTM) in all its non-palm products - coconut, soyabean, sugar, and sunflower.
In addition, GAR said it had deepened engagement within its palm oil supply base in 2025 by reaching 11,250 independent smallholders through its Sawit Terampil programme and supporting 1,095 participants to obtain Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification across more than 2,000ha.
Speaking about the company’s traceability progress, Anita Neville, GAR’s chief sustainability and communications officer, said: “This high level of traceability enables us to engage closely with suppliers … It also means we can retain smallholders in our supply chains and prepare ourselves for the EU Deforestation Regulation and EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.”
However, after more than a decade of progress, Neville said the company recognised it might not reach 100% TTP due to the structural realities of smallholder-based supply chains.
The company pointed out that a significant share of Indonesia’s palm production came from independent smallholders farming on informally held or uncertified land, which made traceability particularly difficult.
“What matters now is how effectively our traceability enables us to identify risk, prioritise intervention and support improvement. Our approach, therefore, prioritises engagement, supporting suppliers to improve practices while maintaining supply and alignment with No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation (NDPE) commitments,” she added.
GAR uses SmartTrace, a digital, blockchain-based traceability and due diligence platform to track the journey of its products, from plantation to end customer.
In February 2025, the company successfully conducted its first real-world trial of SmartTrace, with a 9,500-tonne shipment of palm oil products to Verborg Group in the Netherlands.
SmartTrace ensured the shipment was 100% traceable to GAR’s plantations in Indonesia and marked the first application in its ongoing test of this landmark compliance system.
Looking ahead Neville said that the company’s sustainability commitments would continue to evolve.
“The next phase of our journey will require greater integration, closer partnerships, and strong execution,” she said.
Listed on the Singapore Exchange since 1999, GAR manages about 531,355ha of oil palm plantations - including smallholder farms - across Indonesia.
In 2025, the company produced 2.2M tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) and 582,000 tonnes of palm kernel.
The company generated revenue of nearly US$13bn in 2025 from a sales volume of 12.3M tonnes and made a net profit of US$400M.
GAR’s downstream refining and speciality product facilities manufacture a range of products for the global agronomy, food, oleochemical and bioenergy markets.
The company also has complementary businesses such as soyabean-based products in China, sunflower-based products in India, and sugar businesses.
In addition, GAR has shipping management, seaports, jetties, warehouses and bulking facilities in strategic locations.
