PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BNI, introduced an environmentally friendly alternative raw material, stearin-based palm wax, to batik artisans in Kampung Batik Giriloyo, Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This initiative is part of the Sustainable Batik Mentoring program aiming to empower the people's economy while supporting sustainable practices in the MSME sector.
This program is a collaboration between BNI, the Center for Entrepreneurship, Change, and Third Sector (CECT) Sustainability at Trisakti University, and the Giriloyo Batik Community. This new material is introduced to replace the non-renewable petroleum-based paraffin wax that has been widely used by artisans for decades.
BNI Corporate Secretary Okki Rushartomo emphasized that this program aligns with BNI's commitment to strengthen the people's economy and help MSMEs upgrade. "By accompanying batik artisans, BNI is not only preserving tradition but also creating new competitiveness based on environmentally friendly innovation," said Okki in a written statement.
Similar initiatives have been successfully implemented previously by FPKBL (Forum Pengembangan Kampoeng Batik Laweyan) in collaboration with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Kampung Batik Laweyan, Surakarta, since 2022. BNI is strengthening its support for business owners, particularly those at the micro and small scale, as well as financial literacy and BNI banking products/services. This success is now being expanded to Giriloyo, involving direct facilitators from Laweyan artisans to share their knowledge and experience.
Okki added that this assistance represents BNI's concrete effort to strengthen innovation among local batik artisans while preserving their cultural heritage. "This BNI-initiated program continues the stearin formulation developed by Laweyan artisans in collaboration with the RSPO," he explained.
More than simply changing raw materials, this program aims to strengthen local value chains and support sustainable tourism. Okki emphasized that cross-stakeholder collaboration between banks, academics, communities, and local governments is key to the program's success.
"Through this program, BNI hopes to expand the socio-economic impact on the batik artisan community, while simultaneously encouraging a transition to greener, more competitive, and more sustainable creative industry practices globally," Okki concluded.
This mentoring program is expected to become a model for the development of batik MSMEs in other regions, synergizing cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and environmental principles in one integrated movement.