Fairventures Worldwide has been working in Indonesia since 2013 to rehabilitate degraded areas with commercial reforestation. Until today, ca. 1 million trees have been planted with smallhold farmers, and Fairventures has well-established relationships with local communities, government authorities, research organizations, supporting NGOs, and industry. With its sustainable approach, FVW creates financial, social and ecological impact at scale.
Started as a non-profit project, FVW currently starts commercial operations, working with local communities in Central Kalimantan in Indonesia´s social forestry program. In its initial phase, FVW will manage a landscape of 4.000 ha, with agroforestry operations on ca. 1, 500 ha, and economic activities on further 2, 500 ha of conservation zones (e.g., rattan production with high-quality specifications for a German industry partner). MOUs with the communities and industrial partners for offtake have already been signed. FVW will scale these operations in the next 2-3 years to a total of ca. 20, 000 ha and to 100, 000+ ha in the next 7-10 years.
FVW exclusively works on degraded areas and non-conservation zones with its agroforestry approach. In this way, local communities earn a sustainable income from degraded areas which are rehabilitated and get into economic use, while the community has no need to slash or burn existing natural forest for their livelihoods. At the same time, FVW protects the high value conservation zones of a social forestry permit area, in that way conserving natural forests. This approach is embedded in the cooperation contract with communities (holders of the permit). As an additional incentive for natural forest protection, FVW´s landscape approach captures economic value from protection zones, e.g., through rattan production and other NTFPs.
