World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) and SD Guthrie Berhad have embarked on a five-year pilot programme to implement regenerative agriculture practices for palm oil in Sabah, marking the first initiative of its kind in the country’s palm oil sector.
The pilot project, which covers about 13,000 hectares, will be carried out across five Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)-certified estates operated by SD Guthrie in the Tawau district.
It forms part of WWF-Malaysia’s broader effort to promote landscape-scale conservation under its Reconnect Borneo Initiative, aimed at restoring wildlife connectivity across Sabah and the wider Borneo region.
Under the collaboration, both parties will work to establish a wildlife corridor linking fragmented habitats, enhance biodiversity conservation efforts and apply WWF’s global regenerative palm oil framework within active plantation operations.
The initiative seeks to go beyond conventional sustainability certification by delivering measurable outcomes for biodiversity, climate resilience and local communities, while maintaining long-term productivity.
The regenerative palm oil framework focuses on commercially viable production systems that support workers and surrounding communities, while actively improving ecosystem services, soil health and climate resilience.
It builds upon existing standards such as RSPO and the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, with progress assessed against clearly defined ecological and social baselines.
WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer Sophia Lim said the partnership represents a significant step towards piloting regenerative practices at scale in a priority conservation landscape in Sabah.
She said the collaboration demonstrates the need for conservation groups and industry players to work together to deliver science-based and scalable solutions that balance environmental protection with the economic importance of palm oil.
For SD Guthrie, the initiative aligns with its ‘Beyond Zero’ sustainability framework, which includes a commitment to pilot a regenerative agriculture framework for palm oil by 2028 and to restore and conserve 100,000 hectares of land across its value chain by 2030.
Group Managing Director, Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad said the pilot would provide valuable insights to strengthen the company’s approach to responsible palm oil production and environmental stewardship.
All activities under the programme will be subject to independent audits, risk assessments and WWF governance processes. The pilot is expected to serve as a reference for broader industry adoption of regenerative practices in the future.
-NIAGATIMES
