TORONTO (News release) -- Since the launch of Asia Pulp & Paper's (APP) Integrated Farming and Forestry System (IFFS) Program two short years ago, 189 villages deep in the forests of Indonesia comprised of more than 13,800 households have seen the impact of real change - and this number will grow to 500 villages by 2020. Now, in time for World Forestry Day, the company is hoping others will also commit to thinking outside the context of their own supply chains to deploy solutions that address risks across the landscape.

The IFFS Program focuses on improving the well-being of local communities around the company's concessions through use of modern agroforestry practices, reducing dependence on the forest and improving efforts to preserve the surrounding environment. A fund is provided to each village to be 'reinvested' in the program by paying forward the dividends. The strategy is now integral to the core business which is growing trees for pulp and paper.

"Each village is able to determine as a community how to prioritize resources and how they want to engage in any corporate program that has replaced a typical top-down structure so individuals feel a true sense of being in charge of their success," said Ian Lifshitz, Vice President of Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations at APP. "We need a new green revolution in agriculture that focuses on both best practices in farming and community."

One of the largest causes of tropical deforestation is conversion to cropland and pasture for subsistence. Agriculture drives 80 per cent of tropical deforestation and generates as much as 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Companies, both downstream and upstream in the supply chain, must confront this issue and realize that ending deforestation once and for all will require both social and environmental solutions.

"Forestry-related companies must address the real threats and risks in terms of land conflict, forest encroachment, and fires associated with agricultural land clearing," said Lifshitz. "The solution is to work hand-in-hand with communities to address the specific challenges in each village and build more forest-friendly livelihoods. Thriving communities will create thriving forests."

APP concessions are spread across five provinces on two islands and cover over 2.5 million hectares of land. Each village brings unique cultural and geographic characteristics that influence engagement with the forest long before a company can, making collaboration with local farmers and customization essential for success.