Natural Habitats Palm Possible
Impact Report 2022
26
Natural Habitats
Impact Report 2021/2022
27
4.4
WILDLIFE FRIENDLY
HOW? How do we meet this promise?
The significance of species diversity, as well as the impact of certain agricultural practices on wildlife, is not always considered or understood by farmers and workers. To combat this, we are continuously raising awareness of the importance of species protection at the farmer, worker, and community level. Awareness raising and training An integral part of the RSPO and Fair For Life (FFL) certifications is training farmers, workers, and communities about the importance of protecting wildlife and biodiversity. Wildlife protection is an integral part of the training programs our team uses. Here are a few examples: ▶ Our FFL certified farmers commit to ‘not being involved in hunting, collecting, processing, commercialization, trafficking of all or part of endangered or threatened wild animals/plants’. ▶ Under the RSPO certification, ‘all rare, threatened, or endangered species are protected’, and ‘disciplinary measures are taken and documented if any individual working for the company is found to capture, harm, collect, trade, possess, or kill these species.’ We run internal and external audits to ensure our farmers are compliant with these standards. Using natural solutions Replacing chemicals with natural fertilizers and pest controls means harmful toxins won’t be released into the air, soil, and water bodies, or go on to have a negative effect on wildlife. The use of natural solutions prevents the risk of toxic chemicals and salts building up in species that, in turn, serve as a food source for other species. Leaving pruned leaves and empty fruit bunches (a waste product from the milling process) as a natural fertilizer supports healthy soils, creates shelter for animals, and provides nesting and foraging habitat for key crop pollinators. Planting buffer zones and reforestation of fragile areas with indigenous trees creates a similar positive side-effect. The diversity and abundance of native bird species is greater with even small linear, natural hedgerows along farm field edges.
WHAT? What does wildlife friendly actually mean?
In farming, wildlife-friendly means working to conserve biodiversity on and around agricultural land. Conservation and production are integrated in a way that means habitats for wildlife are sustained using methods that also benefit the farm and plantation. WHY? Why do we care so much about wildlife? Species diversity is crucial to preserving our planet for future generations. By conserving fauna and flora, we can work towards ecological balance and stability in the world. However, converting land into agricultural production sites has come at significant cost to natural ecosystems and wildlife. With agriculture becoming increasingly intensive, little room has been left for the natural habitats that sustain biodiversity. This results in the breakdown of important ecosystem services like pollination and nutrient cycling. Even small patches of habitat within farmlands can provide important places for wildlife to breed, move through the landscape, and find shelter from predators. Those patches can also provide valuable benefits for farmers, such as water retention, reducing erosion, supporting pollination, and providing nutrients for the soil.
IS POSSIBLE
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