Apical tackles poverty by boosting culinary entrepreneurship amongst women in Indonesia

PANGKALAN KERINCI, Indonesia, Oct. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Apical Group, a leading global vegetable oil processor, joined forces with the local government in Indonesia to tackle poverty and unemployment by conducting capacity building training for over 130 aspiring female culinary entrepreneurs. Apical is part of RGE, a global group of resource-based manufacturing companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, with a purpose to improve lives sustainably.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Manpower, Transmigration and Energy of North Jakarta, and attended by Head of the Department, Novi Dinaryanti, the training session is catered to women based in Apical's operational areas over two days on 12 and 13 October. Most of the participants are aspiring owners of micro, small and medium sized enterprises ("MSMEs") in the culinary sector. These aspiring entrepreneurs are participating in the training in hope of raising their family incomes and seeking a social safety net in response to the unemployment risks created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants have also previously been trained in basic entrepreneurship by supervisors from the national training programme under the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia.

Titled Upgrading your Culinary Experience Program, the training was conducted by two chefs from Apical Group. The participants were taught to create food products using sustainable palm oil that would appeal to the local millennial market, such as curry puffs, sushi-style Vitas Samin oil and Wonppol cakes. Practical knowledge and tips on running a culinary business, including online and offline marketing, marketing management, and financial and cash flow management were also provided to the participants.

Apical Group's Senior IDEAS (Innovation, Development and Applications) Manager, Fajar Marhaendra said: "According to the World Bank Group^[1], over the past 30 years, the private sector has contributed to a sharp decline from 52 to 22 percent in the number of people living below the poverty line within the developing world. In emerging markets, four out of five new positions in the formal sector were created by MSMEs, which is about 90 percent of total employment. At Apical, we hope to make a difference to lives and communities and Inclusive Progress is a key pillar of our 2030 sustainability vision and targets. Through enhancing their capabilities, we hope these aspiring entrepreneurs can be change agents who can share their knowledge with others and create a wider impact in the larger communities in which they operate."

The two-day course is part of a holistic entrepreneurship training programme provided by Apical to this community. Following the initial focus on product creation, the programme will help the participants hone broader entrepreneurship skills in the following year, with the objective of preparing these participants to start their own businesses and market their products to larger markets.

^[1] World Bank Group, Poverty and Equity Report

About Apical

Apical Group is a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Our vertically integrated mid-stream refining and value-added downstream processing makes us an integral supplier that supports the food, feed and renewable fuel needs across industries.  To date, with integrated assets in strategic locations spanning Indonesia, China and Spain, Apical operates eight refineries, five oleochemical plants, four renewable fuel plants and three kernel crushing plants. Through joint ventures, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in Brazil, Dubai, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, USA and Vietnam. Apical's growth is built on the foundations of sustainability and transparency, and motivated by our strong belief that we can make a more meaningful impact even as we continue to advance our business and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.

For more information, please visit the Apical website: https://www.apicalgroup.com/