Partnership with Wilmar and BSR to Scale Up Child Protection in the Palm Oil Supply Chain in Malaysia

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To scale up child protection in the palm oil supply chain, Earthworm Foundation is partnering with Wilmar International and BSR to safeguard the rights and improve the well-being of children living in plantations in Malaysia.

Earthworm has been commissioned by Wilmar and BSR to pilot Wilmar's Child Protection Policy Implementation Manual at a Wilmar supplier in Malaysia; an initiative supported by consumer goods companies.

The manual is applicable to the wider agricultural industry and aims to guide upstream oil palm operations in Indonesia and Malaysia, which include Wilmar’s suppliers, towards a better understanding of protecting and safeguarding children’s rights. The practical applicability of the manual will be tested and assessed in an effort to build capacity within the industry to address child protection. A key deliverable of this project will include an adaption of the manual to the Malaysian context, to address complex child rights issues and employment of foreign labour within the sector.

“Scaling-up impact for child protection requires collective action. This partnership is reflective of the mission that drives palm oil producers and processors, consumer goods manufacturers and non-profits to support inclusive and effective child protection systems in the palm oil supply chain, to deliver workable solutions for children living in oil palm plantations”, said Lynda Lim, the Malaysia lead for Earthworm's children in plantations work.

Please refer to Wilmar International press release for further details.