Associated Press
November 28, 2007
Indonesia, which is losing its forests at a faster rate than any other country, launched a campaign on Wednesday to plant 79 million trees before it hosts a critical conference next month on climate change.
Environmental groups have called the planting program well intended but say it will mean little if the government does not immediately impose a moratorium on deforestation.
Around 300 football fields worth of trees are destroyed every hour in the archipelago due to illegal logging, mining, and slash-and-burn land clearing for highly profitable palm oil plantations.
Indonesia is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the United States and China. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 80 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions are from deforestation and forest degradation.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that if current trends continue, future generations will face food and water shortages.
"We will show Indonesia's strong commitment and action to preserve the environment and save our planet," Yudhoyono said as he planted some of the project's first saplings with members of his government.
World leaders from 80 countries are to meet on the resort island Bali next month to develop a replacement for the current climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Senin, 27 Oktober 2008
Save Orangutans!
By Ian Wood
Last Updated: 12:01pm GMT 28/12/2007
At the Bali climate summit, Indonesia announced a new scheme aimed at protecting its orangutan population.
The plight of the orangutan, driven out because of deforestation and degradation of its rainforest home, has become a potent symbol of the battle to save the forests.
The most recent survey of wild orangutans estimates that there are about 7000 remaining in Sumatra, and about 55,000 in Borneo. However the combined pressures of palm oil, logging and forest fires are having a catastrophic effect on many areas.
Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the launch of the project: "In the last 35 years about 50,000 orangutans are estimated to have been lost as their habitats shrank. If this continues, this majestic creature will likely face extinction by 2050. The fate of the orangutan is a subject that goes to the heart of sustainable forests... to save the orangutan we have to save the forest."
For anyone with an interest in protecting Indonesian rainforests these have to be welcome words.
The action plan has taken nearly three years to develop and has included various NGO's and the Indonesian forestry ministry. The American group The Nature Conservancy has represented the coalition of NGO's and has also pledged $1 million to support the plan. The bold target of the project is to save huge areas of forest scheduled for conversion to palm oil.
"One million hectares of planned forest conversion projects are in orangutan habitat," said Rili Djohani, director of The Nature Conservancy's Indonesia program.
"Setting aside these forests is an important step for Indonesia to sustainably manage and protect its natural resources. It benefits both local people and wildlife while making a major contribution towards reducing global carbon emissions."
Indonesia has made some progress in enforcing forest laws over the last few years and if this plan can be implemented it would be a landmark in Indonesian forest protection.
Dr. Erik Meijaard, a senior scientist with The Nature Conservancy, said:"It could lead to 9,800 orangutans being saved and prevent 700 million tons of carbon from being released."
Although Indonesia has already destroyed huge swathes of rainforest, it still has over 100 million acres left. Both scientists and Indonesian officials hope that the emerging carbon market could provide funds to protect important areas.
"Forest conservation can provide economic benefits for a very long time," said Dr. Meijaard. "If payments for avoided deforestation become an official mechanism in global climate agreements, then carbon buyers will likely compensate Indonesia for its forest protection. Protecting the orangutan will then lead to increased economic development in the country. Such a triple-win situation is not a dream. With some political will, it can soon be reality."
The other target of the project is to return orangutans housed in rehabilitation centres to the forest by 2015. There are currently over 1000 orangutan housed in care centres with more arriving on a regular basis. The majority are ready to be returned to the wild now but there are simply not enough suitable release sites. If carbon trading could achieve the aims of this plan, then these great apes could return to the forests where they belong.
Last Updated: 12:01pm GMT 28/12/2007
At the Bali climate summit, Indonesia announced a new scheme aimed at protecting its orangutan population.
The plight of the orangutan, driven out because of deforestation and degradation of its rainforest home, has become a potent symbol of the battle to save the forests.
The most recent survey of wild orangutans estimates that there are about 7000 remaining in Sumatra, and about 55,000 in Borneo. However the combined pressures of palm oil, logging and forest fires are having a catastrophic effect on many areas.
Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the launch of the project: "In the last 35 years about 50,000 orangutans are estimated to have been lost as their habitats shrank. If this continues, this majestic creature will likely face extinction by 2050. The fate of the orangutan is a subject that goes to the heart of sustainable forests... to save the orangutan we have to save the forest."
For anyone with an interest in protecting Indonesian rainforests these have to be welcome words.
The action plan has taken nearly three years to develop and has included various NGO's and the Indonesian forestry ministry. The American group The Nature Conservancy has represented the coalition of NGO's and has also pledged $1 million to support the plan. The bold target of the project is to save huge areas of forest scheduled for conversion to palm oil.
"One million hectares of planned forest conversion projects are in orangutan habitat," said Rili Djohani, director of The Nature Conservancy's Indonesia program.
"Setting aside these forests is an important step for Indonesia to sustainably manage and protect its natural resources. It benefits both local people and wildlife while making a major contribution towards reducing global carbon emissions."
Indonesia has made some progress in enforcing forest laws over the last few years and if this plan can be implemented it would be a landmark in Indonesian forest protection.
Dr. Erik Meijaard, a senior scientist with The Nature Conservancy, said:"It could lead to 9,800 orangutans being saved and prevent 700 million tons of carbon from being released."
Although Indonesia has already destroyed huge swathes of rainforest, it still has over 100 million acres left. Both scientists and Indonesian officials hope that the emerging carbon market could provide funds to protect important areas.
"Forest conservation can provide economic benefits for a very long time," said Dr. Meijaard. "If payments for avoided deforestation become an official mechanism in global climate agreements, then carbon buyers will likely compensate Indonesia for its forest protection. Protecting the orangutan will then lead to increased economic development in the country. Such a triple-win situation is not a dream. With some political will, it can soon be reality."
The other target of the project is to return orangutans housed in rehabilitation centres to the forest by 2015. There are currently over 1000 orangutan housed in care centres with more arriving on a regular basis. The majority are ready to be returned to the wild now but there are simply not enough suitable release sites. If carbon trading could achieve the aims of this plan, then these great apes could return to the forests where they belong.
Planting With Aussie
Australia will pay Indonesia to plant 100 million trees in Kalimantan in a climate-change deal worth 100 million Australian dollars (82 million US dollars). Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda signed the agreement in Sydney on Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The signing was witnessed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, one of 21 leaders in Sydney for the annual APEC meet. The deal could cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 700 million tons over 30 years -a greater amount than Australia's total annual emissions, Downer was quoted by DPA as saying. Called the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership, it aims to preserve 70,000 hectares of peat forests, flood 200,000 hectares of dried peat land and plant up to 100 million trees on deforested peat land. "The deforestation and burning of Indonesia's vast peat lands is the largest single source of its greenhouse gas emissions," Downer said. "Greenhouse emissions will not be reduced by posturing and stunts."
The signing was witnessed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, one of 21 leaders in Sydney for the annual APEC meet. The deal could cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 700 million tons over 30 years -a greater amount than Australia's total annual emissions, Downer was quoted by DPA as saying. Called the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership, it aims to preserve 70,000 hectares of peat forests, flood 200,000 hectares of dried peat land and plant up to 100 million trees on deforested peat land. "The deforestation and burning of Indonesia's vast peat lands is the largest single source of its greenhouse gas emissions," Downer said. "Greenhouse emissions will not be reduced by posturing and stunts."
Senin, 20 Oktober 2008
The Green World
The "Green World" project in Kenya
Virtually no other country provides such a good example as Kenya of the Food Chain Partnership developed by Bayer. Agriculture is one of the country’s most important sources of revenue. Around 5 million small-scale farmers and their families live from the production of its most important export crops, coffee, tea and flowers, although vegetables such as beans, mangetout peas and corn on the cob, and bananas, pineapples, coconuts and other exotic fruits have also become increasingly important over the last few years. Food Chain Partnership concept of Bayer CropScience “Concerted effort to achieve safe fruit and vegetables” 80% of those in employment work in agriculture, which in 2005 accounted for just over 57% of the national income. However, only 20% of the surface area of about 225.000 square miles which make up the country are suitable for agriculture. Small-scale farming and a very few large landowners determine the structure. It is the smallest farmers, however, who are most lacking in knowledge and who are faced with major logistical problems. Against this background, and in view of the growing demands of the major export markets in Europe in terms of food safety, the development of training programs and the provision of knowledge in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables acquire a whole new dimension. In this way the German company is reducing the risk to humans and to production, for example as a result of the use of illegal substances from dubious sources. More and more counterfeit active substances are finding their way on-to the market in Kenya, often leading to uncontrollable consequences. In order to prevent this process and to ensure greater protection of the environment and the health of people and plants, Bayer started the “Green World” project in the summer of 2006. “Our aim was not to address the big landowners, but to start right where there was the greatest lack of knowledge. We wanted to intensify our dialog with the small farmers as part of good agricultural practice,” emphasized Hans Joachim Wegfahrt, Managing Director Bayer East Africa ltd, and Dr. Ulrich Zillekens, Global Food Chain Manager, Bayer CropScience, in conversation with Fruchthandel magazine. Hans Joachim Wegfahrt is managing the project on the ground. Key strategies first had to be developed in order to ensure the sustainability of the project. Bayer CropScience wanted to find the best way of involving the smallest farmers in the project. “It seemed most sensible to us to start where the small farmers buy their fertilizers and pesticides.” The “Green World” project is therefore directed very specifically towards the small traders who are established in the villages. “These small shops have a key function in enabling important information to reach the producers. It is where they make their purchases from trusted individuals that village gossip is exchanged,” stressed Wegfahrt. There are currently around 2,000 of these small traders in Kenya. Bayer CropScience initially started the project in the area around Mount Kenya, a narrow, fertile belt of land used predominantly for vegetable and corn production. These products are mainly exported. Thirty traders were involved in the first stage of the project. “We developed training programs to provide these traders with the necessary knowledge for correct handling of the fertilizers and pesticides developed by Bayer CropScience.” The response to the training surprised the experts. The training programs were taken up with great enthusiasm and an even greater thirst for knowledge. Apart from information on the active substances and their use, they include advice on cultivation, information on “good agricultural practice”, and the development of specific spraying plans. The company supplies its products in practical packaging with instructions for use, and the packs can be disposed of in an environmentally appropriate way. The training provided most of the traders for the first time with basic knowledge of the methods of good agricultural practice and correct modern crop protection, which they passed on to their customers with the same enthusiasm. “In this way, the producers are much more easily convinced and instructed than if a company representative arrives in the village to teach them complex subject matter, with the main aim of selling them a company’s products,”emphasized Dr. Zillekens.So far, up to 3,000 visitors have attended each of the field days organized by Bayer CropScience and went away with extensive information about the products and their uses. “The enthusiasm there is surprisingly high, giving us an excellent basis on which to build,” said Wegfahrt. Traders and producers need to feel that it is worthwhile in the longer term to work professionally with the correct products. “Our company builds a bridge to the consumer – it is the expertise which others do not have which we are able to offer.” Bayer CropScience also involves seed producers, ex-porters and the national ministry of agriculture in the Food Chain Partnership to ensure that each stage of the supply side is included in the project. “In this way we are working together to bring consumers safe and healthy fruit and vegetable products.” “It is vitally important that the farming structures with their village routines are maintained. This is the only way to halt the development of slums in the towns, to guarantee food for the population, and to build up a successful export business,” Dr. Zillekens pointed out. “We offer innovative products for an approach to crop protection which is completely different to the techniques in use even ten years ago,” he continued. Bayer Crop Science has developed active ingredients which no longer have to be sprayed on but are taken up by the roots of the plant and transported to the site of the problem. This guarantees greater protection of the environment, plants and also humans. plants and also humans. To give the traders an even greater incentive to take part in the Green World project, 5 traders are being invited to travel to Berlin to Fruit Logistica, where Bayer CropScience will be presenting the project. The Kenyan shop-owners will report their experiences to a broad international specialist audience and describe the success that they have achieved with the “Green World”
Virtually no other country provides such a good example as Kenya of the Food Chain Partnership developed by Bayer. Agriculture is one of the country’s most important sources of revenue. Around 5 million small-scale farmers and their families live from the production of its most important export crops, coffee, tea and flowers, although vegetables such as beans, mangetout peas and corn on the cob, and bananas, pineapples, coconuts and other exotic fruits have also become increasingly important over the last few years. Food Chain Partnership concept of Bayer CropScience “Concerted effort to achieve safe fruit and vegetables” 80% of those in employment work in agriculture, which in 2005 accounted for just over 57% of the national income. However, only 20% of the surface area of about 225.000 square miles which make up the country are suitable for agriculture. Small-scale farming and a very few large landowners determine the structure. It is the smallest farmers, however, who are most lacking in knowledge and who are faced with major logistical problems. Against this background, and in view of the growing demands of the major export markets in Europe in terms of food safety, the development of training programs and the provision of knowledge in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables acquire a whole new dimension. In this way the German company is reducing the risk to humans and to production, for example as a result of the use of illegal substances from dubious sources. More and more counterfeit active substances are finding their way on-to the market in Kenya, often leading to uncontrollable consequences. In order to prevent this process and to ensure greater protection of the environment and the health of people and plants, Bayer started the “Green World” project in the summer of 2006. “Our aim was not to address the big landowners, but to start right where there was the greatest lack of knowledge. We wanted to intensify our dialog with the small farmers as part of good agricultural practice,” emphasized Hans Joachim Wegfahrt, Managing Director Bayer East Africa ltd, and Dr. Ulrich Zillekens, Global Food Chain Manager, Bayer CropScience, in conversation with Fruchthandel magazine. Hans Joachim Wegfahrt is managing the project on the ground. Key strategies first had to be developed in order to ensure the sustainability of the project. Bayer CropScience wanted to find the best way of involving the smallest farmers in the project. “It seemed most sensible to us to start where the small farmers buy their fertilizers and pesticides.” The “Green World” project is therefore directed very specifically towards the small traders who are established in the villages. “These small shops have a key function in enabling important information to reach the producers. It is where they make their purchases from trusted individuals that village gossip is exchanged,” stressed Wegfahrt. There are currently around 2,000 of these small traders in Kenya. Bayer CropScience initially started the project in the area around Mount Kenya, a narrow, fertile belt of land used predominantly for vegetable and corn production. These products are mainly exported. Thirty traders were involved in the first stage of the project. “We developed training programs to provide these traders with the necessary knowledge for correct handling of the fertilizers and pesticides developed by Bayer CropScience.” The response to the training surprised the experts. The training programs were taken up with great enthusiasm and an even greater thirst for knowledge. Apart from information on the active substances and their use, they include advice on cultivation, information on “good agricultural practice”, and the development of specific spraying plans. The company supplies its products in practical packaging with instructions for use, and the packs can be disposed of in an environmentally appropriate way. The training provided most of the traders for the first time with basic knowledge of the methods of good agricultural practice and correct modern crop protection, which they passed on to their customers with the same enthusiasm. “In this way, the producers are much more easily convinced and instructed than if a company representative arrives in the village to teach them complex subject matter, with the main aim of selling them a company’s products,”emphasized Dr. Zillekens.So far, up to 3,000 visitors have attended each of the field days organized by Bayer CropScience and went away with extensive information about the products and their uses. “The enthusiasm there is surprisingly high, giving us an excellent basis on which to build,” said Wegfahrt. Traders and producers need to feel that it is worthwhile in the longer term to work professionally with the correct products. “Our company builds a bridge to the consumer – it is the expertise which others do not have which we are able to offer.” Bayer CropScience also involves seed producers, ex-porters and the national ministry of agriculture in the Food Chain Partnership to ensure that each stage of the supply side is included in the project. “In this way we are working together to bring consumers safe and healthy fruit and vegetable products.” “It is vitally important that the farming structures with their village routines are maintained. This is the only way to halt the development of slums in the towns, to guarantee food for the population, and to build up a successful export business,” Dr. Zillekens pointed out. “We offer innovative products for an approach to crop protection which is completely different to the techniques in use even ten years ago,” he continued. Bayer Crop Science has developed active ingredients which no longer have to be sprayed on but are taken up by the roots of the plant and transported to the site of the problem. This guarantees greater protection of the environment, plants and also humans. plants and also humans. To give the traders an even greater incentive to take part in the Green World project, 5 traders are being invited to travel to Berlin to Fruit Logistica, where Bayer CropScience will be presenting the project. The Kenyan shop-owners will report their experiences to a broad international specialist audience and describe the success that they have achieved with the “Green World”
Senin, 13 Oktober 2008
The Greener, The Better!
Indonesia will plant 2 billion trees in 2007Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.comMay 7, 2007
Indonesia plans to rehabilitate 59.2 million hectares (146 million acres) of damaged forest throughout Indonesia, according to Malam Sambat Kaban, Indonesia's Forestry Minister. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) reports that the country has set aside $445 million for 2007 to finance the planting of 2 billion seedlings on 2 million hectares of land along 318 rivers in all provinces in the country. The minister said that the plan would help revitalize the country's most degraded forests, which have been heavily logged and are increasingly cleared for agriculture, especially oil palm plantations. Should the ambitious plant prove successful, it would sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Indonesia did not specify whether the seedlings would be native tree species. Between 2000 and 2005, Indonesia has the world's highest rate of forest loss.
Indonesia plans to rehabilitate 59.2 million hectares (146 million acres) of damaged forest throughout Indonesia, according to Malam Sambat Kaban, Indonesia's Forestry Minister. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) reports that the country has set aside $445 million for 2007 to finance the planting of 2 billion seedlings on 2 million hectares of land along 318 rivers in all provinces in the country. The minister said that the plan would help revitalize the country's most degraded forests, which have been heavily logged and are increasingly cleared for agriculture, especially oil palm plantations. Should the ambitious plant prove successful, it would sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Indonesia did not specify whether the seedlings would be native tree species. Between 2000 and 2005, Indonesia has the world's highest rate of forest loss.
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