Asia Pulp & Paper launches agroforestry program in 500 villages to help protect Indonesia’s forests

APP’s commitment will be delivered through a series of pilot community agroforestry programs. The programs could include the sharing of: rearing initiatives for livestock; sustainable fruit and vegetable farming techniques; and forestry and business skills to enable alternative livelihoods that do not require the clearance of natural forest for further economic development. The programs will focus on bringing together agriculture, forestry and vocational skills development, and be designed to build upon the local knowledge of communities by bringing in best practice and applicable techniques from across industry and academia. APP said these programs will help to reduce the pressure on Indonesia’s remaining natural forests whilst simultaneously improving the livelihoods of local communities. In addition, the programs will be designed to help reduce instances of conflict over land by providing less land-intensive development options and will help to reduce instances of land encroachment and slash and burn activities.

The aim of the programs is to demonstrate that economic development can be pursued in a sustainable way that supports, rather than undermines, the protection of Indonesia’s forests, APP said. This new commitment to Indonesia’s communities is in addition to APP’s existing pledge to support the protection and restoration of one million hectares of forest landscapes, and to channel and coordinate 10 million USD a year of in-kind and financial support into forest conservation across Indonesia.

APP announced its latest sustainable development commitment at the UN Climate Conference in Paris, COP21. The announcement was made after APP presented details of its forest and peatland protection initiatives, which support Indonesia’s ambitions to achieve a 29 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Aida Greenbury, managing director for Sustainability at APP said: ‘A key theme of COP21 is to ensure that economic development goes hand-in-hand with environmental protection. We believe that this new agroforestry programme will help communities to achieve economic development while protecting Indonesia’s forests. The issues facing Indonesia’s forests need to be managed at the landscape level, and local communities have a very important stake in the forest. Whilst these programmes are at an early pilot stage, we will be working to help introduce and spread sustainable farming techniques that are compatible with forest protection.’

Avery Dennison recently confirmed its commitment to reduce emissions by signing the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, as have a number of others up and down the label and packaging supply chain.