Zero Harm: Fire & Haze Management

SD Guthrie pioneered and commercially introduced the 'Zero-Burning Replanting Technique' in 1985.

When clearing fields of old and unproductive palms, the trunks and fronds are cut and left on the fields to decompose as organic fertiliser. This environmentally friendly technique improves soil quality, and has been adopted as the industry standard for oil palm replanting.
In 1992, SD Guthrie was admitted into the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement during the Rio Earth Summit for the development and commercialisation of this technique.

Fires can be caused by many factors and are most likely to occur during dry seasons. Our operations, as well as areas of our concessions occupied by local communities are susceptible to unpredictable fires.

We use satellite data to keep an eye out for fire occurrences in our estates as well as neighbouring areas. Once alerted, we immediately investigate and send our specially trained teams to put the fires out and prevent it from spreading and causing more damage.

Hotspot Dashboard

Our strict Zero Burning Policy extends within our own boundaries. However, because of our commitment to environmental stewardship, we have roped in our neighbours to commit to the same policy. This includes those within a 5km radius of our estate boundaries.

We not only assist our neighbours to monitor fire occurrences but also help to put out the fires as soon as we are alerted.

We have Fire Fighting Teams at all our operations to help put out fires. In Indonesia, they not only safeguard our plantations, and assist our neighbours as part of the 5km Zero-burning commitment.

SD Guthrie has helped initiate 'Masyarakat Peduli Api' (Local Communities Fire Awareness Movement) in Indonesia, within neighbouring local communities to increase their awareness and participation in fire prevention activities.

Since 2014, our subsidiary Minamas Plantation has partnered with seven universities across Indonesia to develop integrated community-based fire prevention programmes (DMCA) involving all levels of stakeholders, to contribute to safeguarding the area from forest fires.

The programme aims to educate local communities in fire-prone villages around our operations about sustainable agricultural practices. We help them find sustainable and viable alternatives to generate income.

This programme operates in high-risk areas across various parts of Indonesia, covering 29 villages approximately 160,692 hectares. It enhances awareness of forest and land fire risks in the community, extending outreach to schools through programmes like “Guru Peduli Api” involving 750 teachers and principals, and “Sekolah Peduli Api” with the Indonesia Heritage Foundation. The “Penghargaan Desa Bebas Api” awards fire-free villages to encourage villagers to practice zero-burning on their farms. Minamas Plantation also conducted training sessions on forest and land fire prevention and control with smallholders and nearby communities across our operations, highlighting the importance of preserving the surrounding environment from the dangers of forest fires.

Through satellite, ground, and drone monitoring, detected hotspots are promptly reported to authorities in accordance with our fire management operational standards. Our monitoring efforts covered over 800,000 hectares of land in Indonesia, utilising more than 50 drones to monitor our operations for potential fire risks.

Apart from drones, we utilised fire towers in Indonesia to enable early detection of wildfires across our plantation and neighbouring areas, in line with our 5km radius zero-burning commitment. Minamas Plantation is committed to monitor fire occurrences and help to put out the fires within a 5km radius of our estate boundaries as soon as we are alerted.