Case study 06

APRIL – Indonesia Advancing forest ecosystem restoration in Sumatra

Agricultural lands occupy almost half of the world’s land surface and a further expansion is projected to feed a global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. The social and economic contribution that agriculture makes at both the macro and micro levels is also well documented: agriculture contributes 30% of the GDP in many low-income countries and employs more than 2 billion people globally. Over 75% of people living in poverty depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Agri-business firms—local, national and international—play major roles in agricultural production and services.

As a significant land user, agri-business also has a critical role to play in holistic sustainable land management that protects and maintains essential ecosystem services and builds rural community resilience. GAA and EcoAgriculture Partners are working Peatland Forest on the Kampar Peninsula, Sumatra together to identify and learn from a selection of innovative regenerative and restorative landscape partnerships Rationale APRIL’s roles in landscape in which agri-business companies are partnerships actively involved. These case studies Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) was will support us in our shared ambition established by APRIL Group in 2013 as RER’s production-protection model to better understand the agri-business an ecosystem restoration program to is supported by the implementation perspective—their business rationale protect, restore, conserve and manage of a landscape approach that requires for landscape partnerships, 150,000 hectares of ecologically ongoing collaboration between institutional models, business and important peatland forest situated on government, communities and other landscape benefits, and how to bring the Kampar Peninsula and Padang concession holders, who share success to scale. We welcome your Island, within Indonesia’s Riau Province objectives and responsibilities in input and feedback. in Sumatra. A leading producer of terms of forest protection and land fibre, pulp and paper, APRIL manages use management. The RER program Case studies are available at industrial and community fiber originally began as a partnership globalagribusinessalliance.com plantations, alongside five Ecosystem between APRIL, Flora & Fauna Restoration Concession licenses issued International (FFI) and BIDARA, an by the Indonesian government, as part Indonesian social equity consultancy. of an integrated production-protection Among the first steps in the program landscape model. RER contributes were assessments of the RER forests’ to APRIL’s commitment to conserve biodiversity levels, carbon stocks, one hectare of natural forest for every and the socio-economic status of Independent authors hectare of plantation. The company surrounding communities. Later, is 81% towards this goal, and has local NGO Laskar Alam joined the committed US$100 million in funding program to help develop close working to support long-term landscape relationships with local communities conservation and restoration programs, on Padang Island. RER’s partnerships including RER. are structured as service agreements, Case study 06 Advancing forest ecosystem restoration in Sumatra APRIL – Indonesia

where FFI has conducted ecological Benefits and successes and social baseline and impact studies, while BIDARA and Laskar Alam help Since 2015, RER has been a zero Despite the successes engage local groups in improved fire, zero encroachment, and zero agriculture practices. APRIL and illegal logging landscape. The RER achieved so far, the the RER teams work collaboratively teams have successfully worked with “program continues to with the provincial government’s local communities on fire prevention Forest Management Unit and Natural strategies to keep the RER fire free, focus on embedding Resources Conservation Agency to supported by education campaign, sustainable land and implement a coordinated landscape capability building and community management approach. Community infrastructure incentives. Biodiversity forest management land holders participate on a voluntary continues to recover, with a total of practices that will basis. 757 plant and animal species having last beyond the been identified in the RER areas, as Actions and investments for of June 2018. This total includes 60-year term of landscape sustainability 48 species that are considered to be APRIL’s ecosystem endangered, including the Sumatran RER’s production protection model Tiger and Sunda Pangolin. RER has restoration licenses. aims to ensure that the program is also demonstrated that traditional financially sustainable over time. community activities, like fishing and Returns generated by APRIL’s pulp and honey gathering, can be fostered as paper manufacturing arm are invested sustainable community enterprises into RER operations, partnerships and and viable business alternatives to community development programs in slash and burn agriculture practices. ” the villages. The program’s work with farmers is aligned to this objective, Lessons learned and future focusing on developing improved directions agronomic practices, including the use of ‘no-burn’ land preparation Despite the successes achieved so techniques to achieve higher yields. far, the program continues to focus For example, RER offers technical and on embedding sustainable land and material input on growing common forest management practices that products for local markets, and will last beyond the 60-year term of Restorasi Ekosistem Riau provides support for villages that APRIL’s ecosystem restoration licenses. For more details please contact remain fire-free over the 4–6 month Nyoman Iswarayoga, Director of External According to Brad Sanders, long- Affairs, Restorasi Ekosistem Riau at dry season, usually in the form of term approaches to sustainable land [email protected] local infrastructure investment. management must be ‘in our blood’ to The program also provides fishermen keep delivering on RER’s vision. “As the The Global Agri-business Alliance in the area with technical assistance pressure on natural resources increases and equipment, including boat engines over time, it is important that everyone The only multi-commodity, multi-geography, CEO-led platform for supply-side sector and nets, when they demonstrate they with an interest in the landscape engagement and collective action: growers, are refraining from illegal practices. continues to work together to ensure processor, traders, providers of finance and In addition, RER supports government its protection and management.” inputs. Member companies have come forest patrols to prevent poaching of together to strengthen their contribution to building sustainable landscapes and birds and other animals, and illegal livelihoods. A time-bound initiative, GAA has logging. RER and APRIL team members its sights set firmly on 2030 and on making assume intermediary negotiation an additional contribution to the SDGs. support roles to foster compliance with The GAA does this by providing a platform for anti-poaching rules, to ‘keep everyone engagement and collaborative action that 1) scales best practice through peer learning legal on the landscape,’ says Brad 2) contributes to thought-leadership and Sanders, Head of Operations, Restorasi 3) informs and influences emerging policies. Ekosistem Riau. Contact Global Agri-business Alliance, World Business Council for Sustainable Development Maison de la Paix Chemin Eugaène-Rigot 1202 Genève Switzerland Storm Stork, one of the endangered resident species within the Kampar +41 22 839 31 00 Peninsula [email protected] globalagribusinessalliance.com