The North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (GAPKI) will hold a “Run for Sustainable Oil Palm,” that would go through three major oil palm plantation in North Sumatra in October.
“This international run activity with a total cash prize of Rp 264 million (about $16,640) is among others, aimed at campaigning for palm oil,” the head of the marathon committee, H. Kacuk Sumarto said in Medan on Sunday (23/6) as quoted by the Antara news agency.
Kacuk, who was accompanied by the secretary of the organizing committee Timbas Prasad Ginting, said that the hope was that the event will “promote palm oil even more.”
“By participating in this run through plantations, participants would be able to see how oil palm does not damage the environment and that its products, such as palm oil are also healthy for consumption,” GMNI Executive Director Sahat Sinaga said at the same occasion.
The run which will include four categories — 5, 10, 21 and 42 kilometer runs — will be held on October 13, 2019, in the Serdang Bedagai district near the North Sumatran capital of Medan he said.
The marathon run that is held jointly with the Association of Vegetable Oil Producers of Indonesia (GIMNI) will pass through three major oil palm plantations — PT Socfindo, PT London Sumatera (Lonsum), and PT Karya Hevea Indonesia in Serdang Bedagai district. The organizer expects the run to draw at least some 3,000 participants from Indonesia and overseas.
Among the major sponsors of the run are the Indonesian Palm Oil Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS), the Gerakan Indonesia Bersih (Clean Indonesia Movement), and the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs.
Participants can register online and would have to pay a joining fee of between Rp 100,000 and Rp. 400,000 depending on the event they take part in.
Members of the GAPKI Board of Patron, Joelfly Bachroeni said that the event was also part of the efforts to educate Indonesians about sustainable oil palm. He said that such education including for people overseas, along with efforts to assure a healthy environment in the oil palm sector became even more important amid the negative campaigns against palm oil.