We are uniquely reliant on forests – without them, life as we know it would not exist. The air that we breathe, the water we drink and most of the food we consume originates from the processes controlled by trees and other plants. They also provide a home to more than half of all species found on land – a rich variety of life that keeps so many natural systems running. However, through the ages, we’ve exploited our forests. Two-thirds of global forest cover loss is occurring in the tropics and sub-tropics. Forest loss not only threatens the survival of countless species and fuels climate change, but also puts human health, livelihoods and wellbeing at risk. Recognising the urgent need to conserve our forests and in line with Pigeon’s vision to leave a rich earth for the future of babies born tomorrow, Pigeon and WWF-Singapore are partnering together to support forest restoration efforts in Indonesia and raise awareness on forest conservation. The partnership focuses on the following three main areas
RESTORING FORESTS
Through this partnership, Pigeon will support the rehabilitation of 50 hectares of land with the planting of 5,000 seedlings of perennial crops in the rich landscape of Muaro Sungai Lolo, West Sumatra in Indonesia under the NEWtrees program. The NEWtrees program is a planting project for forest trees, fruit trees and vegetation in key biodiversity areas that are threatened by deforestation. The harvests will help to provide sustainable livelihoods for the communities and reduce pressure on forests for the extraction of resources. This will in turn enhance watershed protection and reduce problems such as flooding and soil erosion while helping to mitigate against the impacts of climate change.
Recognising the importance of community rights, interest and understanding in natural resource management, the planting programme will be implemented on the ground by local community farmers. The planting activities will be maintained for 2 years and the growth of the trees will be monitored over a period of 5 years using geo tagging technology.
PROVIDING TRAINING
To help the local farmers and their families build sustainable livelihoods, the program includes a series of training workshops for the farmers to learn how to set up and run social and rural entrepreneurships that improve income options without compromising environmental conservation values.
EDUCATING AND RALLYING THE YOUTH IN SINGAPORE
People are at the heart of a sustainable future. Thus, it is important to raise awareness on forest and biodiversity conservation amongst our youth The Environmental Education Resource Kit, sponsored by Pigeon, will include specially curated content for educators and parents to engage with preschoolers on key environmental topics. The resource kit will be launched progressively in 2021. This partnership is aligned with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a big step forward for the environment. They recognise that we all depend on the planet’s natural resources – its forests, rivers, oceans and land – for our social and economic wellbeing.
If you’re interested in exploring a similar partnership with WWF, contact
Mayj Tolentino
Director of Growth and Partnerships
E-mail: mtolentino@wwf.sg