Why is it important?

Development can raise living standards and broaden horizons for many rural and remote communities in Southeast Asia. But roads, bridges, schools, and clinics often come at a cost. Villagers are sometimes expected to surrender their rights to forests and agricultural land, opening the floodgates to unsustainable plantations and large-scale corporate monoculture.

The result is a familiar picture:

  • Loss of biodiversity

  • Increased carbon emissions

  • Polluted waterways

  • Haze-filled skies

  • Poverty and loss of income

Local destruction leaves a global scar. Government-mandated smallholder schemes are working to spread the benefits of this development, but few companies share in the true cost of the environmental destruction they have caused. Finding alternative solutions is not only the right thing to do, it’s our only option.

How can we get there?

For many companies, 2020 was a deadline year for the delivery of their NDPE commitments. Although progress has been made, there is significant room for improvement in cutting deforestation out of supply chains. Now, as we enter a new decade, it is time to renew our collaborations, upscale our efforts and accelerate their impact. The Earthqualizer spatial intelligence labs, value chain transformation, and landscape recovery teams partner with governments, NGOs, donors, and corporates to create sustainable and community-centric solutions to the issue of landscape management.

How can you help?

For government, NGOs, and community

Help build sustainable business models that benefit nature and people in the long run.

  • Local government can unite stakeholders in a shared vision for the landscapes in which they operate

  • Policies can facilitate transparency and accountability through data sharing, dialogue, and progress monitoring

  • Local communities can insist that companies fulfill their development commitments

  • Communities can advocate for land rights reform, native rights and social forestry

For donors

Donor agencies have the power to drive change in a positive direction, by directing funding away from exploitation and into sustainable development.

  • Facilitate novel approaches to sustainability 

  • Support crucial trials and help spread risk 

  • Push for greater accountability

For corporates

Transform supply chains to meet NDPE commitments and promote prosperity for local communities.

  • Producer can bring meaningful development for rural communities and the environment

  • Traders and refiners can deliver on shared visions for diversified landscapes

  • Brands can commit to public reporting on progress, not just to global communities of consumers, but also the people in the landscapes where they operate