Oil and snack companies team up to reduce deforestation

AAK has partnered with Nestlé and Musim Mas in a bid to reduce deforestation in areas outside of palm oil concession areas in Aceh, Indonesia, an area where over 85% of the area is protected. The partnership will see a five-year program, funded initially for two years, concentrating on education, with the use of a train-the-trainer method, where government extension officers will train in agricultural practices and NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation).

Subsequently, these officers will be able to provide training to large numbers of smallholders (that is, holders of small plots of land) in the area. Roughly 1000 smallholders will be positively impacted by the program.

The intended outcomes of the program are increased yields and earnings for the smallholders, who should subsequently have less incentive to use trees from protected areas for palm oil farming.

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