Development can raise living standards and broaden horizons for many rural and remote communities in Southeast Asia. But roads, bridges, schools, and clinics often come at a cost. Villagers are sometimes expected to surrender their rights to forests and agricultural land, opening the floodgates to unsustainable plantations and large-scale corporate monocultures.
The result is a familiar picture:
Loss of biodiversity
Increased carbon emissions
Polluted waterways
Haze-filled skies
Poverty and loss of income
Local destruction leaves a global scar. Government-mandated smallholder schemes are working to spread the benefits of this development, but few companies share in the true costs of the environmental destruction they have caused. Finding alternative solutions is not only the right thing to do, it is our only option.
For many companies, 2020 was a deadline year for the delivery of their NDPE commitments. Although progress has been made, there is ample room for improvement in cutting deforestation out of supply chains. Now, as we enter a new decade, it is time to renew our collaborations, upscale our efforts and accelerate their impact. The Earthqualizer Spatial Intelligence Labs, Value Chain Transformation, and Landscape Restoration teams partner with governments, NGOs, donors, and corporates to create sustainable and community-centric solutions to the issue of landscape management issues.
Help build sustainable business models that benefit nature and people in the long run.
Local government can unite stakeholders in a shared vision for the landscapes in which they operate
Policies can facilitate transparency and accountability through data sharing, dialogue, and progress monitoring
Local communities can insist that companies fulfill their development commitments
Communities can advocate for land rights reform, indigenous rights and social forestry
Donor agencies have the power to drive change in a positive direction, by leading funding away from exploitation and into sustainable development.
Facilitate novel approaches to sustainability
Support crucial trials and help spread risk
Push for greater accountability
Transform supply chains to meet NDPE commitments and promote prosperity for local communities.
Producers can bring meaningful development for rural communities and the environment
Traders and refiners can deliver on shared visions for diversified landscapes
Brands can commit to public reporting on progress, not only to global communities of consumers but also to the people in the landscapes in which they operate