FGV’s Natural Commitment

MAKING POSITIVE IMPACTS THROUGH CONSERVATION EFFORTS

 As one of Malaysia’s largest food and agribusiness companies, FGV Holdings Berhad (FGV) is involved in the A to Z of the agricommodity supply chain from upstream to midstream to downstream. This includes owning and operating one of the largest acreage of oil palm plantations in the world, stretching up to approximately 440 thousand hectares, mostly in Malaysia and Indonesia. But more than just being an industry giant, FGV is also leading the way in sustainability efforts, and one of its initiatives is to help restore Malaysia’s precious forests.

In line with its commitment to helping Malaysia achieve its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, FGV has identified Protecting the Environment as one of the three pillars of its Group Sustainability Framework. This includes adhering to a strict policy of No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDEP), where the company aims to reduce, and even eliminate, any negative impact on the environment and ecology.

However, FGV recognises that not doing harm is the least that it could do. Of greater importance is to do good. As such, the company has initiated the Program Penanaman Pokok untuk Hidupan Liar (Tree Planting Programme for Wildlife). Done in partnership with the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), this programme incorporates efforts to promote conservation, reduce carbon footprint and generate benefits for environment and local communities.

Reinforcing the Rainforest

Presently, the focus of the programme’s efforts are at the Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex in Perak. Spanning an area of more than 117 thousand hectares, it is considered to be the oldest rainforest in the world, with an estimated age of 130 million years. This gives it a very unique biodiversity and ecosystem, and it has even been nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has also been identified as a High Conservation Value (HCV) area.

As part of its tree planting programme, FGV has planted approximately 2,000 trees comprising 20 different species of indigenous and wild fruit trees in designated areas in the forest.

Just as noteworthy is the fact that the company has not only made a positive impact on the natural landscape but also on the lives of the people, as it sourced the seedlings from nurseries owned by Orang Asli (indigenous people) at the nearby Kampung Air Banun.

As such, FGV not only helps in the reforestation efforts, it also contributes to uplifting the lives of the local community, which incidentally is in line with its other sustainability pillar of Promoting Economic Growth.

Preserving Wildlife

‘Program Penanaman Pokok untuk Hidupan Liar’ at the Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex is a continuation of FGV’s previous collaboration with the Sabah Forestry Department in a similar tree planting programme back in 2016. The programme in Sabah saw 5,000 trees replanted for the purposes of wildlife and environmental conservation, particularly in riparian buffer zones.

Planting 2,000 trees in the Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex is just the beginning as far as FGV is concerned and, moving forward, the company aims to step up its efforts in the area through conservation efforts for the habitat of wildlife living in the area.

For instance, the Belum-Temenggor rainforest has been identified by BirdLife International as an “Important Bird Area” (IBA), owing to it being a key part of the helmeted hornbill’s migratory route. This species is one of the most critically endangered birds in the world, and FGV’s tree planting efforts is helping in rehabilitation efforts by enhancing their source of food and shelter.

At the ground level, literally, the rainforest is also home to some of Malaysia’s most endangered animal species, including the Malayan tiger, the Malayan sun bear, the Malayan tapir, and the Asian elephant to name a few. Just like as with the Helmeted Hornbill, FGV’s tree planting and conservation efforts ensure that these animals do not lose their habitat and means of sustenance.

At the same time, FGV also has the 3R Programme through which it rescues, rehabilitate and rehomes injured or displaced animals such as sun bears, gibbons and pangolins that have wandered into its plantations. Working together with MNS, the Department of Wildlife and Natural Parks of Peninsular Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), FGV has managed to rescue 78 sun bears as well as rehabilitate and release 52 of them into their natural habitat since the programme’s inception in 2015.

In fact, the number of sun bears rescued by FGV is the highest in the world, and the company has further contributed to conservation efforts by producing a number of publications on the matter. These include Guidelines in Managing Sun Bears in Captivity, Guidelines on Conflict Management for Sun Bears, and the Malayan Sun Bear Conservation Action Plan.

For FGV, sustainability is not mere lip-service but an important part of the values that make the company tick. That is why it ensures that its plantations do not encroach into environmentally sensitive areas and proactively creates awareness of the importance of respecting nature among its workers as well as members of local communities near its plantations. Through this, FGV is not only helping to protect the environment, is also guaranteeing that people can enjoy the fruits of FGV’s products knowing that they are supporting doing good.