Palm oil industry towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievements

Gender Equality in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been exclusively developed but, most of our current economies and societies are not able to fully contribute or equally benefit from them. When zooming in, women are generally more excluded than men. Indonesia as the leading of palm oil producing country and given the vital role that women and girls play in the management, care, and use of Palm Oil, the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) framework is important to review. This paper aims to review the performance of GESI framework in the Indonesian palm oil sector and links the discussion with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) using qualitative methods, which data and information have been collected through observation, key informant interviews and secondary data. The framework focus on the marginalized groups. The results show that the palm oil industry can improve the gender equality and inclusivity for creating economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable palm oil supply chains and sectors. We need roll out the Gender Assessment to map out the actual roles, inclusivity and involvement of women in the respective area.


Introduction
Palm oil production is strategic industry in Indonesian Economy, especially because it contribute to employment opportunity, increase export and trade balance. In addition, the palm oil has also become an important part of Indonesia's energy sovereignty system. Not many sectors of the economy, especially in the commodity sector in which its contribution to the economy is so large, as inclusive and broad as the palm industry [1].
The rapid palm oil industry development, pushed mostly by global demand for vegetable oils, oleofood and biofuel. Palm oil industry development in Indonesia has grown rapidly through comprehensive and fast-paced expansion plans driven by economic liberalization and private capital [2][3][4][5][6][7].
The baseline data shows of the possibility that there is unequal gender relations. Such expansion is argued to create disproportionate consequences for women and women are rarely recognized as agents at palm oil industry [4,8,9]. In their analysis, [10] shows the gender disaggregated impacts of oil palm expansion in Indonesia and the overall lack of women in SDGs achievement. Significantly, palm oils play a major role in achieving these SDGs, though the exact contribution that palm oils have on the SDGs remains unclear. According OECD [11], the main reasons of gender disparities in the labor market IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 892 (2021) 012068 IOP Publishing doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/892/1/012068 2 are the deeply entrenched stereotypes that restrain women as a wife to caregiving (reproduction aspect) and men to breadwinning (production aspect).
This paper aims to benchmark: (1) the performance of Indonesia in achieving selected SDG goals, (2) contribution of palm oils development in achieving selected SDGs goals; and (3) the role of women in palm oils as subject of pillar of SDGs.

Materials
The study used data from the UN database and relevant sources such as The UN Sustainable Development Report, the World Bank Report and interviews with relevant stakeholders.

Methods
The UN has defined Targets and Indicators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Targets specify the goals and indicators by which the world be able to monitor whether these targets are achieved [12] . For benchmarking position of Indonesia in achieving SDGs targets, we quote some the original text of some Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators. The matrix covers the three pillars of sustainable development (social, economy, and environment) and 13 SDGs, which are directly or indirectly impacted by the palm oils sector. We selected some indicators related with the oil palm development in Indonesia, and indicator related with gender Equality and Social Inclusive (SDGs 4 and SDGs 5).
The study uses qualitative methods, which have been conducted through observation, key informant interviews and secondary data from National Bureau of Statistics, Focus Group Discussion and workshop with government, Non-Government Organization (NGO) and Business stakeholders. Analysis of baseline condition or Business as Usual (BAU) gap with ideal condition of SDGs target was implemented the indicators selected SDGs related to palm oil. The process of analysis as follows (1) selected Indonesia as the largest producing and exporting country of palm oil, (2) build the matrix (select SDGs number, indicators, sustainability dimensions , and measurement), (3) data collection, (4) Data evaluation, (5) data interpretation; and (6) conclusion. The review continues more deeper into contribution SDGs5 in palm oils development, we reviewing some results from previous studies and to understand the issue.

Limitations
The study has some limitations including: data gap, data validity, rapid changes in technology, complexity of supply chain; reliability of the data, completeness of the data, the high uncertainty of the data, geographical correlations and data bias.

Indonesia performance in achieving selected SDGs
Based on Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020, overall performance of Indonesia in achieving SDGs is 101 of 166 with index score of 65.3 compared to regional index of 67.2. This means Indonesia still need strong efforts to achieve her performance's and figure out which factor/s could be become a stimulator in doing so. Regarding the UN assessment of achievement of selected SDGs, achievement of Indonesia varies among SDGs number. The UN categories into 4, namely, on track; moderate improving, stagnant and information unavailable. Among17 SDGs, based on some reviews, we selected 14 SDGs which have contribution direct and indirect to oil palm development. For example, some selected SDGs indicators on which related to women participation in oil palm development, mostly already in the position of on track in achieving SDGs targets, however in sub-indicator of mean years of education received ratio of female-to-male, where Indonesia in the position of moderate improving. Other indicators in some goals such as information of adjusted GDP; Gini coefficient adjusted for top income, and Municipal solid waste are unavailable. Therefore, for reviewing the contribution of oil palm, we modified some indicators, which we think more relevant with the impact of oil palm industry in achieving SDGs targets.
Referring the performance of achievement of selected SDGs related to palm oil development and its selected indicators and sub indicators, 8 SDGs out of 14 were in on track or 57% already approaching the Targets.

Contribution of palm oil industry to achievement of some critical SDGs
The palm oil is an extremely efficient crop, and both palm oil and palm kernel oil together represent 40% of the global vegetable oil production. Palm oil share of 6.5% of oilseeds harvested area of global vegetable oil harvested area. However, palm oil production contributed to 31.9% of total world vegetable production.
Indonesian palm oil supports poverty reduction and reducing inequality. Since 2000, Indonesian palm oil industry has helped 10 million people out of poverty, and in rural area at least 1.3 million people lifted out of poverty line because of palm oil expansion [10]. That regions, have more significant reduction of poverty compared to regions with no palm oil and to national level [13][14]. Furthermore, if we see the headcount poverty ratio 1.90 USD per day, decreased from 50 % in 1995 to 0.1% in 2019 with average ratio [15].
Contribution of oil palm to end hunger (SDGs 2) can be seen from the decreasing of undernourishment prevalence from 25 % in 1995 to 5 % in 2019 [16] with average growth -6% during the period. In addition, palm oil provides cheapest vegetable oil-based food. In 2020, palm oil provide export of 54.4% of vegetable oils and supply 40.4 % of global vegetable oils and from the Palm oil Global Value Chain.
Related to SDGs 3, Good Health and Well Being, palm oil is a food source of energy and fatty acid. Besides being an energy source, palm oil also relatively high vitamin A. Palm oil produce Vitamin A equal mg Retinol/100 g (edible) and Vitamin E which is contents of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols even higher compared to others commodities [17]. Furthermore, Palm oil is a vegetable oil, the derivatives of which can be applied to many purposes that include food ingredients (edible oil), pharmaceutical and health purposes, toiletries and cosmetic (health products) and fuel and lubricant (non-edible) [18][19][20]. According to World Bank, women in developing countries produce 80% of the household food. According to [6] in agricultural interventions, that significant improvements in nutrition outcomes, considered as changes in diet. It means that improved nutrition as an objective, included a nutrition education, and/or that included gender considerations [16].
Palm oil plantation and palm oil industry have significant contribution in to education access for worker and employment family through providing health and education facilities as part of Company Social Responsibilities (CSR). The development of palm oil plantations is an economic activity in the context of rural development including improvement in primary education in oil palm expansion district and provinces. This means that palm oil has significant contribution in achieving SDGs 4 ( Table 1). In relation with clean water and sanitation, natural bio-pores increase the water holding capacity of palm oil plantation through the enhancement of rainfall infiltration into the soil, therefore reducing runoff [28,33,34].

Contribution of palm oil industry to the achievement of SDGs 5and GESI framework
Gender inclusivity is argued to have a direct impact on the economic and social growth of a nation [35][36][37]. The equal access of women and girls to education, health care, and their representation in economic and political decision-making processes will boost sustainable benefit for societies and also for economies.
According to a McKinsey report, equally participation of women and men in the economy can add to the global annual GDP of US $ 28 trillion (26%) by 2025 [35]. Statistical projections indicate that, efficiency in land use can increase by 20-30%, raising the economy by 2.5-4.0% if women have the same access to resources as men in farming. Yet, women still continue to be under-represented and unrecognized at almost all levels and economic sectors. For women to be a part of the formal economy and have equal access to resources and decision-making rights, it is important to equipping them with knowledge and skill sets, to be able to voice their ideas, opinions and decisions.
Women have been the custodian of health and nutrition in a family since the care responsibility still majorly falls on women. The UN assessment, investing in women's economic empowerment will contribute significantly to gender equality, inclusive economic growth, and poverty eradication [12].
Meanwhile, poverty and lack of opportunity only creates larger inequality between men and women. Women condition improves when economic development reduces poverty, through (1) when poverty is reduced, the condition of everyone, including women, improves, and (2) gender inequality declines as poverty declines.
The palm oil sector had been identified as one of the vehicles for poverty reduction and therefore contributes significantly in gender equality and social inclusive for women. Oil palm plantation and palm oil industry provide job opportunities for women. There are 3 types women participation in oil palm plantation namely (1) oil palm farmer who work in agronomic activities, (2) employees, and (3) oil palm plantation worker [38][39].
In the study area, the male dominated the independent palm oil farming community while the female may not find interest to do so. The analysis shows that an age distribution of the respondents, 42.27% of the independent oil palm farmers were 31 -45 years old. This indicates that among those, younger people seem to have less interest in palm oil farming.
The total of women agronomic labor in oil palm plantation was 0.34 million 10.90%) of total labor in oil palm plantation in 2010. Data from 22 provinces with oil palm expansion the total number of women workers increased to 1.81 million (56.5%) in 2020 with average growth rate of 9%/year during the period [1,40].
The rate of wages in oil palm plantation relatively proportional with length of working hours. Wages per day of male worker is IDR 95,000/day with working hours of 8 hours while for female worker is IDR 80,000/day with working hours of 7 hours ( Table 2). The situation considers oil palm development already implemented the framework of Gender Equality and Social Inclusiveness with proportional way. However, the situation also shows that, women still contribute more in domestic responsibilities compared to men. The burden on women domestic works more suffered in pandemic era as to keep the children safe, governments of many countries shut down schools temporarily and sending students to study at home. The supervision falls into the laps of the parents. But furthermore, the laps of the mothers. Domesticated women have to juggle between doing the house chores and supervising their children's study time. Female employees who are sent to work from home also experience no differences. We can easily find working mothers juggling their time and energy between online meetings, completing work targets, keeping the house in order, and suddenly become a home-tutor for their children.
Social inclusiveness could be seen from the involvement of women in capacity building in palm oil. One of the capacity building training for women in palm oil expansion area in West Kalimantan. The gender-related initiatives in West Kalimantan projects have started as early as the beginning of the projects. Not necessarily in the form of all-female initiatives but more of the involvement of women and female farmers in the Farmers' Field School and Financial Literacy Training. The number of women involved in the financial-related trainings is more substantial and presumably this is related to the gender norm within the society where women are often expected to manage the financial aspect of the family. In 2016, a total participant in the project was 617, where the number of males participated in the training was 473 (76.66%) and female was 144 (23.34%). The women participation was increased to 724 out of 2216 participants (32.13%) in 2019. Most of the time women are also in charge for figuring out to generate extra household income as well as helping out the husband and other family members in the plantation.

Conclusion
Palm oil contribute to 15 goals/sub-goals out of 17 SDGs. Palm Oil contributes 9 goals substantially, 4 importantly and 1 insignificantly for Indonesia SDGs. Palm oil Industry contributes significantly in gender equality and social inclusive for women, by providing job opportunities for women as a farmer or agronomic worker, employee and oil palm plantations. Furthermore, oil palm expansion provides an opportunities capacity building for women.
To ensure participation of women in implement initiatives and making decision, allocation of positions for women, both in the leadership positions as well as for the membership in the Community Based Organization was ensured. Oil palm development already implemented the framework of Gender Equality and Social Inclusiveness with proportional way in some aspects. In the study areas, although of the time women are also in charge for figuring out to generate extra household income as well as helping out in the plantation, some of women active in the Farmers' Field School (FFS) and Financial Capability (FC) training.
In development process in the future, gender inclusivity not just as a matter of principle, but as key to development. It is part of the systemic change we need in order to face the global challenges of