The forest trees will be planted over the next three to four years on both sides of a 110km stretch of the lower Kinabatangan river in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. At 560km in length, the Kinabatangan is Malaysia’s second longest river.
It provides a vital ecosystem for wildlife and plants. Local people rely on the river for food, water, transportation and a source of income.
The project aims to reduce pollution in the river by allowing the trees to form a natural barrier against soil sediment, as well as fertiliser and pesticide overspills from agricultural activities.
Peter Vogt, MD of Nestlé Malaysia, said: “The first 100,000 trees will be planted within 12 months. In total, the trees will cover 2,400 hectares, an area three times the size of Gibraltar. We are working with a group of local forest seedling producers and we are applying our commercial agricultural experience to the planting programmes.
“This way, we hope to achieve higher rates of survivability and growth among planted forest trees, to help speed up the reforestation of the riverside.”
The project is part of Nestlé’s approach to corporate social responsibility. Called Creating Shared Value, it focuses on specific areas where the company can best create value for both society and its shareholders, the company said.
Nestlé will share its agricultural expertise with the local community along the river, to encourage the smallholder farmers there to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.
Source: Nestlé
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