Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Assn., (DOPPA) signs MoU with DIBIZ to Enable Smallholder inclusion for EUDR compliance
29/05/2023 (EIN News Wire) - The Palm Oil Industry's First-of-its-Kind Blockchain Platform & B2B Marketplace - DIBIZ and the SARAWAK DAYAK OIL PALM PLANTERS ASSOCIATION (DOPPA) -Malaysia sign an MOU through which 48,000 Dayak smallholders will have Free access to DIBIZ Apps.
DIBIZ's Blockchain-powered platform enables all supply chain stakeholders to embrace sustainability while minimizing costs and democratizing the value of sustainability premiums, including for smallholders.
Currently, many smallholders are excluded from organized supply chains due to a lack of digital workflows to track Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB). However, with the substantial and projected growth in demand for Sustainable Palm Oil, it is crucial to include smallholders in the supply chain and provide transparent visibility of their contributions to end buyers.
DIBIZ offers a comprehensive solution to address the various challenges faced by smallholders by simplifying their inclusion through a user-friendly mobile application that is available for free on both Android and iOS devices.
By digitizing their current practices, DIBIZ empowers smallholders with a 100% digital workflow, enabling them to save time and reduce costs. The mobile app is designed to be easy to use and is available in six languages, including English, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia, Tamil, Mandarin, and Spanish. Smallholders using the DIBIZ APP can keep track of their daily activities, including tracking yield & daily market pricing for better negotiation and receive real-time updates on weight & quality from dealers & mills.
Smallholders produce almost 40% of global palm oil output. Their exclusion in sustainable palm oil supply chains, due to lack of access to smart technology, threatens to remove this vital stakeholder in the global palm oil supply chain.
Rather than excluding smallholders from high demand markets like the European Union with its Deforestation Regulations, the DIBIZ App empowers dealers and millers sourcing crops from smallholders to confidently authenticate their involvement in deforestation-free supply chains.
The DIBIZ Blockchain platform’s authentication process is supported by real-time satellite imaging data that captures deforestation activities in the vicinity of each mill receiving supplies from smallholders and other estates. To enhance its credibility, the authentication provided by the DIBIZ App is further reinforced by the comprehensive authentication conducted by CONTROL UNION, recognized as the world's leading certification agency for palm oil.
Mr. Unnithan, the founder and CEO of DIBIZ, said " The MOU signed between DOPPA and DIBIZ marks another significant milestone in incorporating smallholders into the supply chain through the utilization of Blockchain technology. This partnership not only provides visibility for smallholders but also empowers them to obtain fair prices for their products. Furthermore, it establishes a robust mechanism for sharing sustainability premiums with smallholders. With the implementation of the DIBIZ Blockchain platform, multinational corporations (MNCs) seeking to procure more Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) from smallholders can now access immutable data regarding their supply. This ensures transparency and reliability in the sourcing process, benefiting both the MNCs and the smallholders involved."
The Chairman of DIBIZ Malaysia Sdn Bhd , Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Yusof Basiron (retired Director General of Malaysian Palm Oil Board and immediate past President of Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries -CPOPC) said “I truly believe that the DIBIZ FREE Mobile App would be truly transformative in improving the livelihood of oil palm smallholders. Today's MOU with DOPPA is another concrete step towards this noble objective.”
In signing the MoU with DIBIZ, DOPPA’s President, Mr. Napolean Ningkos reiterated that DOPPA finds the EUDR discriminatory against indigenous palm oil smallholders. He said:
“Despite the formal protestations of Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, against the unilateral imposition of deforestation regulations, we heard that the EU lawmakers will force this measure upon us.
Malaysia has a no-deforestation for palm oil commitment since 2019. For Dayak oil palm farmers, the no-deforestation status goes even further back in history as Dayaks only grow oil palm from Native Customary Lands that were farmed by our ancestors.
I presented this fact to EU MEPs Lara Wolters and Christopher Hansen in Brussels where smallholders from Africa that cultivate cocoa, and coffee also expressed their concerns on EUDR.
The EU must engage with smallholders to prevent the EUDR from becoming a protectionist legislation to protect their farmers at the expense of smallholders that supply the EU market. For indigenous oil palm smallholders in Sarawak, the EU must show some respect for our culture and our human and legal rights on Native Customary Lands.
DOPPA understands that MEP’s Wolters and Hansen have to reply to many other levels of government at the EU which is why this MoU with DIBIZ Global was initiated. DOPPA members can prove on the ground, that their oil palm does not cause deforestation. We are appreciative of DIBIZ, where we can prove this without a doubt.”
About DOPPA:
SARAWAK DAYAK OIL PALM PLANTERS ASSOCIATION (DOPPA) represents 48,000 Dayak oil palm planters in Sarawak, Malaysia. They promote sustainable practices, advocate for members' rights, and enhance economic well-being through support, market access, and training. DOPPA also fosters responsible land use, environmental conservation, and social development in the oil palm industry.
About DIBIZ:
DIBIZ was founded in the year 2019 by Mr. Unnikrishnan R Unnithan and Mr. Srinivasan Malarampath. DIBIZ is an End to End Connected Supply Chain platform and a Digital Marketplace that guarantees Trust & Transparency for Sellers, Buyers & other Stakeholders in the Sustainable Supply Chain, accelerating commitment to decarbonization and sustainable practices maximizing business opportunities and Value to all stakeholders through a single-window online platform. For more details on DIBIZ, please visit www.dibizglobal.com
Srinivasan Malarampath
DIBIZ Pte Ltd
+65 8221 5565