| PURPOSE |
| |
Preserving Biodiversity in Borneo
Securing lands vital for the migration of wildlife along major rivers in Borneo
Connecting and intergrating isolated wildlife sanctuaries with virgin jungle
Engaging government and organizations from all levels of the supply chain
Providing a sturdy biodiversity conservation platform
|
| CONCEPTS |
| |
Biodiversity: The amount of diversity of species in an ecosystem; the level of genetic diversity within a species
Green Corridor: The proposed continuous strech of land to allow safe migration routes for Borneo species
|
|
THE GREEN CORRIDOR PLAN
The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) is a non-profit organization concerned with conserving the habitats of Borneo's many endemic species.
The BCT's immediate goal is to establish The Green Corridor, a continuous stretch of protected rainforest along the Kinabatangan and Segama Rivers through which indigenous animals can move freely and avoid confrontation with palm oil plantations. A complicated and expensive task, this vision can only be realized with the cooperation and support of organizations from every level of the supply chain and government agencies.
THE KINABATANGAN
As the second-longest river in Borneo, the mighty Kinabatangan River is a major artery for Borneo’s biodiversity. The lifeblood of local cultures and endemic species alike, it snakes 560km from the Sulu Sea to the center of Borneo. It is also one of the world’s richest ecosystems; in a square kilometre, one can find 1000 different species of trees and as many animal species, many of which are found nowhere else. Between 1994 and 2004, more than 360 new species were discovered in Borneo, many of which are threatened or endangered. Years ago, clear blue water ran here, but soil erosion and runoff caused by deforestation have resulted in today's coffee-like colour. |
ABOUT PALM OIL
 Besides being the world’s most-consumed edible oil, palm is also the most sustainable and eco-friendly of all the major oil crops. Even though palms use less land than any other major oil crop, they are responsible for the majority of worldwide oil production. Pure palm oil itself is one of the healthiest oils, and is non-GMO. Despite palm farming's sustainability, the growing demand for oil is causing unprecedented forest destruction. In 2005, worldwide production exceeded 30 million tons and demand rises still. The vast majority of palm oil (87%) comes from Borneo and the rapid expansion threatens the rainforests and endemic tropical species. Since many of SARAYA products use palm oil, we felt it was necessary to help harmonize these plantations with the environment.
SARAYA AND THE RSPO
Early on, SARAYA discovered that palm oil-based soaps and detergents were very effective, gentlecleaners that biodegraded easily. Although palm plantations are reasonably sustainable, the ever-increasing worldwide demand for palm oil is causing a rapid expansion that threatens many tropical plant and animal species. Determined to help find a solution,  SARAYA’s first step was to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). As a federation of palm oil stakeholders fromall levels of the supply chain, the RSPO's purpose is to effectively manage palm farming and achieve totally sustainable production.
 SARAYA was the first Japanese company to join and became an active member in RSPO meetings. However, when SARAYA’s Green Corridor—a proposal to preserve the lands within 1km of major river systems to allow safe migration paths for endemic species—was met with resistance from the general assembly, SARAYA saw that RSPO membership was insufficient. In 2006, SARAYA took the Green Corridor project to the Bornean Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation Organization, where it was warmly received and in November 2006, in partnership with the Sabah Wildlife Department, SARAYA founded the Borneo Conservation Trust for the purpose of securing lands vital for the survival of threatened tropical wildlife.
SAVING THE BORNEO ELEPHANTS
The Borneo Elephant is an endangered Asian elephant subspecies only found in Borneo. A key priority for conservation, there are only an estimated one to two thousand individuals left in the wild. However, palm farming expansion disrupts migration routes, crowding the animals. They end up wandering into plantations and often get injured by farmers’ traps. Although the elephants are large enough to escape, snares often become embedded in their legs or trunks. In 2004, SARAYA sent a team of volunteers in a joint effort with ZERI Japan, the Sabah Wildlife Department and the World Wildlife Fund to track, treat and release pygmy elephants that had been injured by farmers’ traps. A total of five pygmy elephants were rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
Involved in the operation was SARAYA employee Nobuo Nakanishi, who documented his experience in the RSPO newsletter:
| "...the snare she had stepped into more than a year earlier still clung to her swollen and infected foot, which dragged along as she walked through the forest. She had been able break the string that tied the snare to a tree trunk but the snare itself remained around her ankle. She had grown much since getting caught in the snare and tissue had grown over part of the rope that had cut deep into her skin. When we found her and saw the way she dragged her foot along the ground, we could feel her pain. We found 4 other young elephants that had been injured by these snare ropes in the Kinabatangan area. One had gotten its nose caught in a snare. You cannot place all the blame on plantation workers who set traps. These are poor people just trying to feed their families. You cannot blame the palm oil plantations either because of the huge global demand for palm oil. What we can do is to involve everyone in the palm oil supply chain and talk about how we can assure the safety of every single creature on the globe. Ever-expanding palm oil plantations have reduced the amount of natural forest available for elephants and other animals. This has increased the instances of confrontation between humans and animals." |
|
