Jambi, 18 October 2019 – In an effort to increase fire prevention awareness among students, Asian Agri initiated a Fire Prevention Ambassador event in Jambi province today.
The event, which comprised of a briefing, was held in collaboration with the government, local fire emergency response team and the Fire Awareness Community. It was attended by students from SDN 10 / VIII Tuo Sumay in Sumay District, Tebo Regency in Jambi.
Ahmad Bastari, Public Relations Officer at PT Rigunas Agri Utama (Asian Agri), explained that the program is designed to reach elementary students – Generation Alpha – and equip them with knowledge about the importance of preventing fires with the expectation that they will in turn influence their family and peers to also protect the environment.
Dedi S, Principal of SDN 10/VIII Tuo Sumay, said it was important for students to remind their parents to refrain from burning practices, as there are still communities who practice slash-and-burn agriculture as part of their customs and traditions while ignoring the potential impact of fires on their families and communities.
Bukhari, Crew Leader at Tuo Sumay (a Fire Free Village), said that stakeholder collaboration is crucial.
“Asian Agri is the only company which cares about fire prevention and management in this regency, and has initiated programs relevant to fire prevention,” he said.
Hafiz Hazalin Sinaga of Asian Agri’s Fire Team delivered the fire prevention briefing to the students, who then discussed what they had learned before being presented with ‘Fire Prevention Ambassador’ symbolic pins.
PT Rigunas Agri Utama regularly holds fire prevention awareness events with students from villages near the company, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.
About Asian Agri:
Asian Agri is one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers since 1979. Today, the company manages 100,000 hectares of land and employs over 25,000 people. A pioneer of the Indonesian government’s Trans-National Government Migration (PIR-Trans) program, Asian Agri works with 30,000 plasma smallholders in Riau and Jambi who operate 60,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, as well as independent smallholders, bringing about positive impact on their quality of life and economic development.
Implementing a strict “no burn” policy and best practices in sustainable plantation management, Asian Agri has helped its smallholder partners improve productivity, yield and supply chain traceability, while assisting them obtain certifications. The company’s mills are technologically advanced and energy self-sufficient, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Asian Agri is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). More than 86% of both owned plantations in North Sumatra, Riau & Jambi provinces and 100% of scheme smallholder plantations in Riau & Jambi provinces have been RSPO certified. All plantations, including those owned by smallholders, have been certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). The company has also been 100% ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.
The company’s operations are ISO 14001 certified, while its Learning Institute and nursery research center in Riau province, Indonesia are both ISO 9001 certified. Asian Agri’s R&D Center in North Sumatra was also given a certification by the International Plant-Analytical Exchange at the WEPAL lab at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, for its high standards.
For further information, please contact:
Maria Sidabutar
Head Corporate Communications
E-mail: maria_sidabutar@www.asianagri.com
DID: +62 21 2301 119
