IDH and Unilever have extended their commitment to fostering sustainability in one of Indonesia’s last critically important tropical rainforest ecosystems, the Leuser ecosystem of Aceh Province. This is an attempt to address the pressing issue of deforestation, promote sustainable palm oil production, and build on their successful partnership in the Aceh Tamiang Sustainable Landscape Project.
The increase of palm oil poses a serious threat to deforestation in the eastern part of Aceh, which includes the districts of Aceh Tamiang and Aceh Timur. In the absence of action, land clearance operations in 12 active oil palm concessions in the nearby “No-Go area,” close to the Leuser Ecosystem, could cause deforestation in Aceh Timur to reach 50,000 hectares. Smallholder encroachment into the region and deforestation are made worse by the fact that many of these concessions are not certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) system and lack strict No Deforestation, No Development on Peat, and No Exploitation (NDPE) requirements.
The Aceh Timur Sustainable Landscape Project, which is also known as the Eastern Leuser project, is an initiative by IDH and Unilever to create a buffer zone management strategy for the Leuser environment. This concept aims to guarantee the preservation and regrowth of forests while encouraging the procurement of sustainable palm oil from sources within Aceh Timur’s control. The project is in line with larger, sustainable palm oil programmes in Aceh Province that are meant to improve community lives and restore the environment. This time, in keeping with their fruitful partnership with Aceh Tamiang’s Forum Konservasi Leuser – FKL, the Leuser Ecosystem Forum, IDH and Unilever also chose to include FKL as the project’s implementing partner.
The project seeks to accomplish a number of important goals:
adherence to the Aceh Timur PPI (Protection, Production, Inclusion) vision, which has the support of important players such as local civil society organisations, government agencies, mills, and plantations.
improved capabilities of the PPI Compact Secretariat, which acts as a platform for multiple stakeholders to execute the idea of a sustainable sourcing region. This entails arranging for the production and restoration of sustainable palm oil, resolving complaints through multi-stakeholder solutions, and providing updates on the SourceUp platform’s advancement at the regional and landscape levels.
achievement of key performance indicators to support sustainable sourcing in Aceh Timur, such as the creation of a verified sourcing area on SourceUp, the protection of High Conservation Value (HCV)/High Carbon Stock (HCS) areas within 74,000 hectares of priority areas with high deforestation risk, and a targeted 30% reduction in deforestation rate from the baseline by project completion. To support the landscape conservation strategy, an updated HCV/HCS assessment will be carried out, which will comprise a customary area mapping and customary right evaluation. In order to streamline the grievance response process at the landscape level, the project will also create a forest and land use monitoring system, as well as traceability at the jurisdictional and landscape levels.
Furthermore, the project intends to restore 1,000 hectares of forest by utilising an agroforestry model, natural regeneration, and the enrichment of native tree species based on the community. At least 100,000 seedlings will be prepared in the community forest nursery in order to achieve this goal. Two oil palm estates and two palm oil mills are expected to adhere to and implement NDPE policies and a new business model for sustainable palm oil production targeted at safeguarding at least 1,000 hectares of HCV/HCS zones. Engagement with four oil palm estates at high deforestation risk is also planned.
A concerted effort to stop deforestation and advance sustainable palm oil production is demonstrated by the ongoing partnership between IDH and Unilever in the Eastern Leuser region, which is supported by implementing partners. The project seeks to promote sustainable development in Aceh Timur while preserving the integrity of the Leuser ecosystem through multi-stakeholder partnerships and focused interventions.
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