Project RiLeaf is extended
Kota Kinabatangan: Cheers erupted as Nestle Malaysia and Sime Darby Foundation celebrated the success of Project RiLeaf by signing a collaborative agreement to extend the project for another two years till 2017, at Myne Resort, Bilit, last Wednesday.
Nestle top brass Puan Zainun Nur Abdul Rauf (Executive Director, Group Corporate Affairs) signed for Nestle Malaysia, while Caroline Christine Russell, a Governing Council Member of Sime Darby Foundation (YSD), signed for the Foundation.
Established in 2011, Project RiLeaf is focused on the twin objectives of restoring critical riverine forests of Lower Kinabatangan by planting indigenous trees to help minimise water pollution, boost the recolonisation of wildlife and to promote greater awareness on sustainable oil palm practices among the local community.
Since then, a total of 480,580 trees of indigenous species had been planted in degraded riparian reserves covering an area of more than 2,300 hectares.
The Project, first conceived in 2008, is part of Nestle’s core philosophy on Creating Shared Value (CSV), to focus on safeguarding water – one of the world’s most critical resources.
But on November 1, 2013, Sime Darby Foundation came on board and signed its first collaborative agreement with Nestle (Malaysia) in Kuala Lumpur to co-fund Project RiLeaf by pledging RM2 million for two years over 2014-2015, witnessed by Sabah Culture, Tourism and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
In a speech then, Sime Darby Bhd President and Group Chief Executive Tan Sri Dato Mohd Bakke Salleh said:
“If he could ‘see progress’ in a project designed to heal ‘one of the richest ecosystems in the world,’ Sime Darby would keep the cash flowing.
Sime Darby had kept its word, with Wednesday’s pledge of RM1.8 million till 2017.
Reason for the extension?
“Thanks to a helpful Sabah, the project had exceeded its target,” noted Sime Darby Foundation CEO Yatela Zainal Abidin, who cited a key helper in Forestry Director Datuk Sam Mannan, among them.
Wednesday’s signing ceremony hailed a morale boosting pact to continue building on the success of this project.
But beyond reforesting critical riparian reserves in Kinabatangan, Project RiLeaf is actively pushing to tame the excesses of the oil palm planting practices.
A key focus is spreading greater awareness on sustainable agricultural practices to oil palm smallholders.
Its work over the last few years had resulted in an increased number of Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil-certified smallholders.
Proof of progress in this new direction was the surprise presence of 115 ‘RSPO-Certified Smallholder Group, which marked a significant start to a new era of better agricultural practices at the grassroots level of a key river basin of Sabah.
Said Puan Zainun Nur Abdul Rauf: “Project RiLeaf is part of Nestle’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) philosophy to unite the needs of people, nature and palm oil agriculture through water – the most common source of vitality.”
“Together with Sime Darby Foundation and other key stakeholders, the project is making strides in bringing life back to the Kinabatangan River, and has positively impacted the local communities in the floodplains. Through this project extension, we look forward to accomplishing even more together with YSD (Sime Darby Foundation),” she added.
Speaking next, Caroline Russell, said: “Sime Darby Foundation already has a very large footprint in conservation initiatives in Sabah and this reforestation project further complements our efforts.”
“We are pleased to be part of this significant collaboration with Nestle,” Ms Russell added.
“Over the past two years, this sustainable project has not only successfully enriched the biodiversity along the Kinabatangan River but also helped provide communities in the area additional income besides capacity building initiatives,” she noted.
“We hope other multi-national organisations would also come forward to bring ‘relief’ to the heavily fragmented habitat in the Lower Kinabatangan Sanctuary and increase the flora and fauna in the area,” Russell appealed.
But probably the most significant milestones that gave Wednesday a fitting celebration of the success of Project RiLeaf, was the presence of a sea of 115 oil palm smallholders who received RSPO certificates, after earning the status of ‘RSPO-Certified Smallholder Group’ for their fresh fruit bunch production based on their efforts in practising sustainable oil palm plantings, such as “judicious use of chemical fertilisers” plus a raft of other practices, said Yong Lee Keng, Nestle Malaysia Manager for Agricultural Services , an original driver of Project RiLeaf.
“We are very happy to have been officially granted the RSPO certificate today, and to understand better environmentally –friendly oil palm planting with the help of Nestle Malaysia and Yayasan Sime Darby,” said Norazizah Pibu.
She said as a member of the participating group, she has personally experienced the positive changes through Project RiLeaf.
“It fills me with pride to work together to protect the environment and our home at the Kinabatangan River.”
Source: Daily Express
