Female workers in protective eqipment take a break from crop spraying in a palm oil plantation in Ukui, Riau Province, Indonesia, on 16 June 2015. This area has become dominated by palm oil production, and some smallholder farmers have formed co-operatives to share costs, increase access to markets, and become certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. The workers are part of Amanah, a local cooperative that has helped over 400 farmers become RSPO certified - reducing their use of pesticides and fertilizers, increasing yields, and improving farm management. Smallholders account for 40% of global palm oil production, and as such play an important role in increasing sustainability within the industry.
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