Ecosystem Conservation
Natural ecosystems are integral components of the agricultural and rural countryside.
Natural ecosystems on farms provide carbon capture, crop pollination, pest control, biodiversity and soil and water conservation.
Certified farms protect these natural ecosystems and conduct activities to restore degraded ecosystems, preserve HCV ecosystems and critical wildlife habitat, and protect wildlife.
All existing natural ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial, must be identified, protected and restored through a conservation program.
Avoiding development of High Conservation Value, High Carbon Stock, peat or other Natural Ecosystems
Conducting historical land-use change analyses on all operations and developing mitigation and restoration plans
Ensuring that existing and new operations support where possible and have minimal impact on national parks, wildlife refuges, biological corridors, forestry reserves, buffer zones and other public or private biological conservation areas.
Connecting natural ecosystems, where practical, through the establishment of buffer zones and biological corridors.
Managing existing operations on peat lands with practices designed to conserve the peat as much as practical.
Production areas must not be located in places that could provoke negative effects on national parks, wildlife refuges, biological corridors, forestry reserves, buffer zones or other public or private biological conservation areas.
The harvesting or other taking of threatened or endangered plant species is not permitted.
Aquatic ecosystems must be protected from erosion and agrochemical drift and runoff by establishing protected zones on the banks of rivers, permanent or temporary streams, creeks, springs, lakes, wetlands and around the edges of other natural water bodies.
Sumatran Tiger Habitat Identification
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Measures to Protect Habitat and Breeding
The farms are refuges for resident and migratory wildlife, especially species that are threatened or endangered.
Certified farms protect natural areas that contain food for wild animals or habitats for reproduction and raising offspring and carry out special programs and activities for regenerating and restoring ecosystems important to wildlife.
An inventory of wildlife and wildlife habitats found on the farm must be created and maintained.
Ecosystems that provide habitats for wildlife living on the farm, or that pass through the farm during migration, must be protected and restored.
Surveying on an ongoing basis farm areas to know the flora and fauna that share the land and water with our operations.
Identifying, protecting, and when appropriate, restoring critical habitat.
Prohibiting hunting, capture or collection of endangered species.
Providing environmental education and training to workers and, where possible, local communities on the cultural and ecological values of wildlife and how to avoid human—wildlife conflicts.
Developing management plans for key endangered species.
Hunting, capturing, extracting and trafficking wild animals must be prohibited on the farm. Cultural or ethnic groups are allowed to hunt or collect fauna in a controlled manner and in areas designated for those purposes under the following conditions:
The activities do not involve species in danger of or threatened with extinction.
Workers are encouraged to release any endangered species in captivity, as part of the education program so as to not set people against the entire sustainability program.
NO BREEDING of WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY NO WILD ANIMALS RELEASE ON THE FARM
The agroforestry systems structure must meet the following requirements:
The tree community on the cultivated land consists of minimum 12 native species per hectare on average.
The tree canopy comprises at least two strata or stories. The overall canopy density on the cultivated land is at least 40%.
Farms in areas where the original natural vegetation is not forest such as grasslands, savannas, scrublands or shrublands - must dedicate at least 30% of the farm area for conservation or recovery of the areas typical ecosystems. These farms must implement a plan to establish or recover natural vegetation within ten years.The farm must implement a plan to maintain or restore the connectivity of natural ecosystems, within its boundaries, considering the connectivity of habitats at the landscape level; e.g. through elements such as native vegetation on roadsides and along water courses or river banks, shade trees, live fences and live barriers.
Native vegetation is in place throughout the plantation. Wild monkeys (Macaques) are present in boundary areas of the plantation. These primates use both natural and man-made infrastructures to navigate through the plantation. The safety and effectiveness of these structures for wildlife use have been documented by global experts in primate management.