PALMOILMAGAZINE, KETAPANG — PT Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (Bumitama) continues to advance its commitment toward achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2060 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 through concrete actions on the ground. Partnering with IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative, the company is deepening its strategic collaboration to strengthen sustainable landscape management in West Kalimantan, particularly through the Production–Protection–Inclusion (PPI) Compact approach that balances productivity, conservation, and community well-being.
This partnership is not new. Since 2018, Bumitama and IDH have worked together under the Bumitama Biodiversity and Community Project (BBCP)—an initiative that integrates forest conservation, smallholder capacity building, and community empowerment around the company’s operational areas.
In 2025, the partnership moves forward with the launch of the Sekolah Desa Berdaya (Empowered Village School) program, designed to enhance community capacity in managing natural resources productively and responsibly.
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“Without IDH, we would not have obtained the primary permits to manage conservation areas as part of our operational license,” said Martin Mach, Head of Environmental Protection & Governance at Bumitama, in an official statement received by Palmoilmagazine.com on Thursday (November 6, 2025). “This demonstrates that sustainability can only be achieved through cross-sector collaboration.”
The PPI Compact program focuses on Ketapang District, West Kalimantan—particularly within the Gunung Tarak–Gunung Palung–Sungai Putri conservation corridor, which spans more than 8,000 hectares. Villages such as Nanga Tayap, Simpang Dua, and Kendawangan are actively engaged in conservation and community initiatives, including tree planting, degraded land rehabilitation, women’s farmer group development, and sustainable agronomy training.
Beyond environmental activities, the collaboration also promotes economic empowerment through training and mentorship. To date, around 25,000 hectares of forest have been conserved, supported by over 60 training sessions on High Conservation Value (HCV) management and fire prevention, involving 1,389 participants. Additionally, 469 independent smallholders have received sustainable palm oil farming training, while 434 villagers have joined alternative livelihood programs.
Meanwhile, 234 land legalization documents have been issued for community members, and conservation areas such as Rimbak Sangiang have evolved into community-based ecotourism destinations.
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“The three pillars—production, protection, and inclusion—must be present in every collaborative project,” said Sacha Amaruzaman, Senior Program Manager at IDH. “The partnership between IDH and Bumitama in Ketapang is a clear example of how a landscape approach can deliver both economic and environmental benefits.”
Looking ahead, Bumitama and IDH plan to strengthen community-based monitoring systems and enhance local government engagement to ensure long-term landscape sustainability. Through this synergy, both organizations aim to demonstrate that economic growth and environmental conservation are not opposing goals, but rather two sides of a shared vision—a greener, more inclusive, and resilient West Kalimantan. (P2)
