The award event for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The Global CSR Summit & Awards 2015 was held on 19-20 March 2015 at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Asian Agri was recognised as the company with the “Best Community Program” at the awards ceremony. Asian Agri’s Managing Director, Kelvin Tio, as one of the speakers at the summit, spoke about Asian Agri’s Community Partnership Program - “Growing with smallholders on economic, social and environmental viability since 1987”.
Based on the Founder, Sukanto Tanoto’s belief & vision that businesses could only work sustainably (i.e. Good for the Company), if it is Good for the surrounding Community and Good for Country, Asian Agri became one of the pioneers in developing private company partnerships with plasma smallholders, who relocated to Sumatra under the Indonesia Transmigration Program.
Asian Agri worked hand-in-hand with these plasma smallholders, imparting knowledge and skills in cultivating and managing the plantations, providing support for the plasma smallholders to get financial support from banks. Under the partnership, the fresh fruit bunch (FFB) harvested from the oil palm trees will be sold to Asian Agri’s processing facilities located near their plantations and the FFB selling price is based on government regulations.
Over the last 27 years, 29,000 plasma smallholders families are impacted positively by the partnership with Asian Agri, enabling them access to better and high education for their children, access to quality health care facilities and services and improving their livelihood. Being socially and environmentally responsible, Asian Agri’s plantations, including plasma smallholders plantations are fully ISCC certified. Asian Agri has also assisted in the formation of 72 Smallholders Co-operatives, which remain one of the driving forces of the partnership.
Through the community partnership, Asian Agri provides the transmigrated farmers with empowerment opportunities, to live a better and dignified life, out of poverty, transforming them into proud members of the Indonesian society.
For related articles, read :
Asian Agri receives Best Community Program award
Asian Agri Reaffirmed its Commitment to Independent Smallholders