Swiss Partners
FiBL, (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture), Frick Switzerland
www.fibl.org
Jacques G. Fuchs
Local Partner
Agrivar
PMCI / Pro Fair Trade Ltd
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Documentation
Swiss Contribution
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture based in Frick (AG) is an experienced actor in the field of industrial composting and has managed international projects for many years. The socio-economic and sustainability issues will be addressed by Coop, one of the Swiss leaders in food distribution, as part of its program for sustainable palm oil production.
Description
Palm oil is controversial and often misunderstood good. Historically, palm tree plantations have required extensive deforestation, resulting in the disappearance of large areas of primary forest. Today, many efforts are being invested to continue producing palm oil following sustainable standards. Palm oil is a very advantageous product: it has little smell and taste and gives a special smoothness to food and cosmetic products.
This REPIC project supports the production of organic palm oil, for which the use of mineral fertilizers is forbidden. For this purpose, FiBL proposes to combine two composting systems (traditional and lombri-composting), to adapt them to waste treatment. The resulting compost can then be used in the production of organic palm oil.
Results
Despite delays in obtaining the necessary permits, which affected the implementation timeline, the project successfully achieved its objectives.
The vermicomposting component encountered technical and biological challenges, resulting in a delay in its implementation. However, it became operational in 2025 and is currently undergoing a consolidation phase to further optimize its performance.
In parallel, two communication events were organized to raise awareness among a broad audience, including representatives of national authorities. These events helped increase the project’s visibility and promote its results.
Impacts
The project has strong potential for replication. The interest shown by other stakeholders in the agri-food sector, together with the involvement of local partners throughout the value chain, provides a solid foundation for scaling up this approach.
The planned expansion of the facility and the gradual consolidation of the project model also create favourable conditions for replicating the approach in other regions and agricultural value chains.