Cargill partnership

The Fauna & Flora International (FFI)-Cargill Partnership, initiated in 2007, has already delivered significant results for conservation and for Cargill.

Previous collaboration

The Partnership began with FFI identifying and securing High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, for the conservation of the orang-utan.

FFI mapped HCVF in and around Cargill’s Indo Sawit Kekal palm oil concession in Ketapang District of West Kalimantan. This survey was a critical part of Cargill’s commitment to meet the requirements of the Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

During the course of these surveys, FFI discovered two important new populations of orang-utans.  The data was fed into the local landscape planning process and the Indonesian Orang-utan Action Plan. In addition, FFI launched Orang-utan Protection and Management Units for one of these populations and secured the agreement of the Ketapang District government to protect the other.

Current activities

In 2009, the partnership developed into something much larger, with three main objectives:

1. Develop a landscape-based orangutan conservation plan
2. Assist the palm oil industry to protect high conservation value forest
3. Provide technical and financial support for long-term orang-utan habitat protection

Landscape-level planning

FFI has completed a HCVF assessment for Ketapang District, which identified over 500,000 hectares of HCVF in nine areas. These forests support an estimated 4,475 individual orang-utans.

We conducted threat analyses and created decision-making scenarios for the development of landscape-based orang-utan habitat conservation plans. FFI also fed into the maps used in the local District’s spatial planning process. The process is now well underway in Kapuas Hulu District as well.

Engagement with the palm oil industry

FFI assisted several companies who are current or potential participants in Cargill’s international supply chain in alignment with RSPO Principles & Criteria. For example, we have helped them to identify and manage HCVF areas in their concessions. We have also helped them to implement sustainability certification.

Orang-utan conservation

FFI helped to develop management plans for key orang-utan conservation sites in both Kapuas Hulu and Ketapang Districts of West Kalimantan. This involved mobilizing local government agencies, RSPO-member palm oil companies, NGOs and local communities to identify HCVF at concession and landscape levels.

The results are being incorporated into district level spatial plans and policies to promote conservation of tropical forests, peatlands and endangered species habitats.

Learn more about FFI’s work to improve the sustainability of the palm oil sector.