Riau, 18 May 2020 – In order to ease the economic burden on the community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Agri continues to distribute food packages to the needy people in 61 villages around the company’s operational area.
Eko Budi Christyanto, AA’s CSR Coordinator Riau Region, said that the 1,496 food packages will be fully distributed before Eid.
“The food packages contain daily staples such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, and vitamin C supplements. We hope that this assistance can ease the burden on villagers who will celebrate Eid amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Eko added.
Earlier on May 14, 2020, Asian Agri also distributed food packages through its business unit, PT Inti Indosawit Subur. Gatot Sibuea, Group Manager of PT Inti Indosawit Subur Kebun Buatan explained, “The outbreak of COVID-19 is not only dangerous to our health, but also impacts the local economy, limiting allowable activities and transactions. We hope our assistance demonstrates our concern for villagers around our operational areas who will soon celebrate Eid.”
The past few weeks saw Asian Agri conducting socialization initiatives to encourage villagers to maintain cleanliness, wear masks, and maintain physical distancing to prevent the spread of the corona virus in their villages.
Rahman Hakim, Head of Delik Village, expressed his appreciation for Asian Agri’s efforts in caring for the villagers. He said, “We thank Asian Agri for its attention to our villagers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Asian Agri has always helped us disinfect our public areas in the village. Now they have distributed much needed food packages to everyone.”
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
