Natural Habitats
Impact Report 2021/2022
22
Natural Habitats
Impact Report 2021/2022
23
REMEDIATION ACTION PLAN
IN 2022
WE PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT, TRAINED FARMERS, AND IDENTIFIED THE RESTORATION AREAS. IS OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO SECURE INDIGENOUS PLANTS AND TREES FOR REPLANTING.
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Natural Habitats will invest in acquiring the plants and trees, and the farmers will provide the labor.
Increase productivity through better practices and organic fertilization The global demand for palm oil will continue to increase, as will the demand for our organic palm oil. One measure we can take to help prevent deforestation is to increase productivity on existing land. We do this by supporting smallholder farmers who supply 40% of palm oil volume worldwide, yet deal with far lower productivity than large estates. This is mostly due to a lack of good agronomic practices and the resources to invest in effective fertilization and replanting. To increase farm and plantation productivity in our supply network, our team of agronomists actively work with farmers to improve their agricultural practices. They train farmers in proper pruning, the use of under cropping for soil health, better and timely harvesting techniques, and fertilization plans. To support our farmers to increase their yield, and keep the right nutritional balance in the soil without having a negative impact on the environment, we will provide them with good quality organic fertilizer, which can be difficult to get in Ecuador. In 2022, we have available 2,800 MT of high-quality organic fertilizer to enrich over 4,000 palm productive hectares in our supply network.
Take compliance seriously Despite our awareness raising and training, our annual internal audits have occasionally revealed that farmers have cleared forest land after joining our network. When farmers don’t comply with our policy and standards they are cut from our supply chain.
BY 2023
NEW AREAS FOR REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION WILL BE IDENTIFIED.
THE IMPORTANCE OF USING ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Rehabilitation of fragile areas With our commitment to protecting fragile areas, and our compliance to the RSPO standard, we support farmers in our supply network to rehabilitate sensitive areas through reforestation. Through our Remediation Action Plan, the farmers in our supply network are informed, trained, and supported by the Natural Habitats team on how to restore and rehabilitate fragile areas, including riparian zones and steep slopes. This means the areas will need to be converted to natural vegetation cover through remediation and modification actions, such as planting native tree species.
Protect biodiversity Biodiversity is an inherent, high priority part of our environmental assessments. Every 3 years we perform an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) that reviews protected areas and species that are considered a valued ecosystem. Through the ESIA, we customize training for our farmers and their workers to recognize protected areas and species, and understand their existence and importance in terms of biodiversity and environmental balance.
Chemical fertilizers have a negative impact on the environment by increasing soil acidity and creating soil infertility, as well as contaminating surface and underground water sources. Organic fertilizers keep soil and ecosystems safe. Organic fertilizers are normally made from animal manure, vegetable or mixed waste. They help to recover the organic matter in the soil, recycle organic waste, fix carbon and nitrogen in the soil, improve soil strength, and ensure the soil will remain fertile over a longer period of time, which leads to increased oil palm productivity.
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