Research and Development

€ 24.79 million

Investments 2013-2022

Research and Development

Our R&D work provides sustainable solutions to improve plantation productivity, enhance product quality and fight deforestation.

Improved plant material through natural selection

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Reduction in planted area to achieve the same product quantity

Our research and development activities are carried out by a team of experts who monitor and support our subsidiaries in their agronomic research and field implementation. These experts work in close collaboration with research institutes and universities in the fields of oil palm and rubber cultivation, such as CIRAD (Palmelit) and Ghent University.

The Socfin Group is one of the first agro-industrial players to have conducted applied research in agronomy. For more than 30 years, Socfin has been investing in research and development, aimed at delivering scientific innovations in the specific agronomic fields of oil palm and rubber.

The improvement and selection of oil palm seeds is one of the major challenges of our research, as we must meet the growing need for vegetable oil while preserving the environment and people. We focus on:

  • Increasing tree productivity (avoiding the use of GMOs);
  • Limiting the use of plant protection products through improved disease resistance;
  • Achieving higher crop yields per hectare.

This research is supervised by our two laboratories: Camseeds in Cameroon and Socfindo in Indonesia.

Our team of researchers is also at the forefront of research into applied biotechnology in rubber cultivation. One of the avenues explored is the production of rubber tree micro-cuttings.

The aim is to obtain trees that are vigorous, more productive, and wind and disease resistant. Improved tree health allows for a reduction in pesticide and mineral fertilizer use, having a significant impact on local ecosystem protection and resource use.

Through multiple research partnerships, the Socfin Group invests in numerous projects related to plant health, fundamental physiological knowledge, biodiversity and soil fertility preservation, rubber tree breeding, oil palm pollination, and ecophysiology of both crops, among others.

The knowledge gained benefits not only our own sites, but also our surrounding smallholders and, in general, the whole sector through scientific publications.

2 entities dedicated to R&D:

  • Africa: Camseeds (since 2017, 256 employees) ;
  • Asia: SSPL Socfindo (since 1913, 36 employees).