IDH AND UNILEVER CONTINUE COLLABORATION FOR SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE IN EASTERN LEUSER

Under the Eastern Leuser project, also known as “The Aceh Timur Sustainable Landscape Project,” IDH and Unilever aim to develop a buffer zone management model for the Leuser ecosystem. This model seeks to ensure forest protection and regeneration while promoting sustainable palm oil sourcing within Aceh Timur’s jurisdiction. The project aligns with broader sustainable palm oil initiatives in Aceh Province, aimed at restoring nature and improving community livelihoods. This time, referring to the successful collaboration with the Leuser Ecosystem Forum (known as Forum Konservasi Leuser – FKL) in Aceh Tamiang, IDH and Unilever also decided to engage FKL in the project as the implementing partner. The project aims to achieve several key objectives: Commitment to the Aceh Timur PPI (Protection, Production, Inclusion) vision, endorsed by key stakeholders including government entities, mills, plantations, and local civil society organizations. Enhanced capacities of the PPI Compact Secretariat, which serves as a multi-stakeholder platform to implement the sustainable sourcing area concept. This includes coordinating sustainable palm oil production and restoration activities, addressing grievances through multi-stakeholder solutions, and reporting on the progress of the SourceUp platform at regional and landscape levels. Attainment of key indicators to support sustainable sourcing in Aceh Timur, including a targeted 30% reduction in deforestation rate from the baseline by project completion, protection of High Conservation Value (HCV)/High Carbon Stock (HCS) areas within 74,000 hectares of priority areas with high deforestation risk, and establishment of Aceh Timur as a verified sourcing area on SourceUp. An updated HCV/HCS assessment will be performed to include a customary area mapping and customary right assessment to support the landscape protection plan. The project will also develop a landscape and jusrisdictional-level traceability and forest and land use monitoring system that consolidate the grievance response mechanism at the landscape level.