High Conservation Value

We have completed the identification of HCV areas across all subsidiaries following the 2012 guidelines for the identification of High Conservation Value Areas in Indonesia. Since then, the monitoring and management has been conducted to ensure the protection of biodiversity and the surrounding environment.

In updating the current HCV approach, the Company adheres to the HCV Network‘s general guidelines for HCV identification, as well as their management and monitoring, to ensure that the management of HCV areas is in line with international best practices and in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations regarding sustainability. We will collaborate with a wider range of stakeholders by integrating the landscape context to identify and engage experts. The progress of the HCV assessment update process will be reported periodically in quarterly sustainability progress reports.

The management of HCV areas in each subsidiary is tailored to the condition of the landscape and the biodiversity that resides in it. To facilitate the management of HCV areas in the field, we classify the landscape characteristics of all operational areas based on the existence of forest patches and umbrella species, which can be seen here. Astra Agro has a set of procedures governing the management of biodiversity conservation in all of its subsidiaries. Further information regarding HCV areas can be seen on this page.

Umbrella species are one of the indicators in managing HCV areas; thus, they are our main focus in monitoring and management activity. In addition, we intensively conduct periodic population monitoring and potential map disturbances that may arise. Since 2014 we have conducted several studies involving various universities to determine the carrying capacity of this species to ensure the availability of food for umbrella species in forest patches. Until now, the availability of feed is guaranteed to be well maintained, which is indicated by the presence of umbrella species and their offspring which can be monitored. The status and progress of our umbrella species management can be seen here

Management activities in all concessions are carried out by field teams with forestry and environmental education backgrounds. The team must have capabilities in related fields that can support field management activities such as flora-fauna identification and biodiversity management, operating geographic information systems and spatial data analysis, rehabilitation planning and management, and landscape-based environmental management.

The Company strives to conserve biodiversity in order to maintain the balance in the ecosystem, which will benefit the entire oil palm plantation in the long run. We have conducted  various studies on biodiversity in our plantation landscape in collaboration with several leading universities.

We also undertake initiatives to protect more specific species in special projects. Currently, qe are running a program on Elephant Conflict Mitigation in the Aceh Jaya region. We collaborate with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency, local government, academia, and communities to run this program in a sustainable manner.