All of APRIL Group’s plantation areas are operated under license from the Indonesian Government. We operate on areas that have been designated by the Government of Indonesia as production forest area suitable for establishment of Industrial Forest Plantation (Hutan Tanaman Industri, HTI).

The main objective of HTI in state forest classified as production forest is to increase the productivity of the land which is mostly degraded forest, while taking into account environmental and social imperatives as set out in government regulations.

In Indonesia, where overlapping land tenure, commercial interests and local political dynamics create complexities, we believe that aligning closely with communities, the government and other related stakeholders is the best path to achieving executable and long-term solutions.

Where land disputes occur, APRIL Group follows all relevant Indonesian laws supported by a conflict resolution process. We prioritize dialog and consensus-based conflict resolution processes, where follow-through has meant suspending operations indefinitely and extending our

Case study: Pulau Padang

Soon after we were granted concession rights by the Government of Indonesia to manage land in Pulau Padang in 2009, APRIL Group consulted closely at community level along with local government authorities and civil society groups.

A group of 28 people, claiming to be Pulau Padang villagers, travelled to the government offices in Jakarta to protest. In response, APRIL Group halted operations and intensified our engagement with the local community and government. The issue was subsequently resolved following a resolution by the Ministry of Forestry.

During a stop-work period of approximately 12 months, APRIL Group continued to deliver its Community Development programs in-line with the earlier commitments made to Pulau Padang communities.

While we would assert that the views expressed by protestors claiming to be Pulau Padang residents do not provide a comprehensive picture of the situation in Pulau Padang, we removed the areas of two villages from our operations plan. With government’s permission as well as support from 12 villages, we resumed operations.

In total, approximately 7,200 hectares were excluded from operations for community use and infrastructure. The area that was excluded is now severely damaged and burned, as would commonly happen in Indonesia when land is not properly managed and monitored.

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