Wages in Palm Oil Plantations: Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia | Cross-Country Report

Abstract

This report presents a cross-country analysis of wages and labour rights in the palm oil sector across Colombia, Ghana, and Indonesia. It is based on two rounds of worker surveys conducted between late 2025 and early 2026, covering 1,032 workers across 32 plantations and mills in Round 1, and 183 workers across 11 plantations in Round 2, the analysis of legal frameworks and voluntary standards such as from the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the collection and analysis of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). The research was commissioned by the International Palm Oil Workers United! (IPOWU) network and carried out by WageIndicator Foundation, with support from trade union partners in each country: Corporación Justicia y Libertad in Colombia, the General Agricultural Workers' Union (GAWU) in Ghana, and Koalisi Buruh Sawit (KBS) in Indonesia.

This cross-country report aims to give an overview of common denominators we have found across the countries that would be an indication for structural issues across the palm oil sector in the three countries studied. The report covers two main topics where there are key common indicators that can be considered a priority for advocacy for the IPOWU network.