KINABATANGAN: Around 50 representatives from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Malaysia took part in a two-day visit to the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) under the Global NISCOPS Learning Programme.
The visit was organised by IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative – and hosted by Sawit Kinabalu Group (SKG), one of the key implementing partners of the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholders 2 (NISCOPS 2) programme in Sabah.
SKG Green Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Philipa Datuk Wilfred Mojilis welcomed the delegates and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to balancing oil palm development with biodiversity conservation and community empowerment.
“SPnCA reflects our ongoing dedication to sustainable landscape management and biodiversity protection. Through our partnership with IDH under the Production, Protection and Inclusion (PPI) 2.0 approach, we aim to demonstrate that responsible palm oil production can coexist harmoniously with nature and local livelihoods,” she said.
The RM9.8 million project, which began in 2022, focuses on strengthening conservation efforts at SPnCA, supporting alternative livelihoods for local communities, and enhancing the supply of sustainable palm oil from smallholders.
Under NISCOPS 2, RM1 million has been allocated to Sawit Kinabalu for project implementation in 2025. An initial RM600, 000 was disbursed earlier this year, with the remaining RM400,000 to follow as activities progress. The funding complements Sawit Kinabalu’s co-contribution of RM2.2 million.
IDH Head of Malaysia, Allie Subramanian, said the initiative promotes sustainable palm oil supply through public-private partnerships.
“NISCOPS develops and pilots solutions to address key challenges in sustainable palm oil supply. This project helps mitigate supply chain risks and supports smallholders in becoming more climate-resilient, aligning with Sawit Kinabalu’s ambition to achieve deforestation-free and EUDR-compliant production,” she said.
During the visit, delegates participated in field activities including a river cruise along Sungai Pin, where they observed the area’s biodiversity and conservation work led by Sawit Kinabalu.
The tour highlighted how riverine ecosystems are protected and restored alongside oil palm plantations — a key example of the company’s integrated conservation approach.
Among the guests were British High Commission in Malaysia Ruzina Jahan Hasan, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Pieter Blusse and Ho Li Huan, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Julia Kooijman, Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Dr Meilina Ong Abdullah, and Regional Director for Asian Landscapes at IDH Tran Thi Quynh Chi.
Launched in January 2025, NISCOPS 2 builds on the achievements of its first phase (2019–2023), which trained over 20,000 smallholders nationwide in sustainable and climate-resilient palm oil production.
The initiative supports Malaysia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Jointly implemented by MPOB, IDH, and Solidaridad Network, NISCOPS 2 aims to enhance smallholder productivity, pilot deforestation monitoring systems, and strengthen climate resilience across 15 project sites in Malaysia — five of which are in Sabah, including SPnCA in Kinabatangan.
In Kinabatangan, the Sungai Pin Conservation Area serves as a model for sustainable land management by integrating conservation, community participation, and biodiversity protection within oil palm landscapes — showing how development and nature can thrive side by side.
Mojilis expressed hope that the visit would inspire further collaboration among global partners.
“We hope this visit will encourage meaningful exchanges and reinforce our shared vision for a sustainable and inclusive palm oil industry, not only in Sabah but globally,” she said.