Persepsi Petani Sawit Mandiri di Desa Radak Baru Kecamatan Terentang Terhadap Sertifikasi ISPO

Abstract

The Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil certification is a government policy aimed at improving sustainable oil palm plantation governance, enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil products, and ensuring plantation management aligns with economic, social, and environmental principles. The successful implementation of ISPO certification on smallholder plantations is heavily influenced by the perceptions of farmers, who are the primary actors in farm management. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of independent oil palm farmers in Radak Baru Village, Terentang District, regarding ISPO certification. The research was conducted from May to June 2026 using a survey method and a quantitative descriptive approach. The study location was selected purposively, and the respondents consisted of 30 independent oil palm farmers chosen via purposive sampling. Data collection involved observation, interviews, and the distribution of Likert-scale questionnaires. Research variables included knowledge of ISPO, economic benefits, environmental benefits, ease of implementation, and willingness to participate in certification. The results indicate that farmers' perceptions of ISPO certification generally fall into the "good" category, with an average score of 3.73. The environmental benefits indicator received the highest score (4.03), followed by willingness to participate (3.93), economic benefits (3.90), and knowledge of ISPO (3.67). Meanwhile, the ease of implementation indicator received the lowest score (3.13), indicating that farmers still face obstacles regarding administrative requirements, land legality, and certification procedures. The study concludes that independent oil palm farmers hold a positive perception of ISPO certification; however, increased outreach, technical assistance, the strengthening of farmer institutions, and the simplification of certification processes are still required to boost farmer participation in the implementation of ISPO certification.