Pirelli, BMW start campaign to safeguard Indonesian rainforests 

Milan, Munich – Pirelli and the BMW Group are joining with one of the world’s largest nature conservation partnership BirdLife International in a three-year project to promote sustainable production of natural rubber (NR) in Indonesia.

Among other objectives, the project will look to conserve a deforestation-free area of 2,700 hectares within the Hutan Harapan rainforest in the island of Sumatra, which is home to around 1,350 different animal species, said Pirelli and BMW in a 28 Oct statement. 

The campaign will also cover “a series of initiatives” aimed at improving the quality of life of the indigenous community by “protecting farmers’ land rights and promoting women’s rights.”

The initiatives will include promoting “agroforestry approach” in the context of natural rubber, as promoted by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR).

Furthermore, the project partners will offer training courses for smallholders on good agricultural practices.

The courses will cover a range of activities, including good cultivation and plantation management practices to support the environment, productivity and smallholders’ living and working conditions.

As part of the programme, a natural rubber growers’ cooperative will be created to permit the direct supply of NR from the communities to the processing plants in the region. In addition, plantations will produce traceability documentation to processor.

To protect the forest, the project envisages monitoring and direct checks of the forest area through wardens, drones and satellite control technologies. 

Other areas covered by the programme include female empowerment, protection of animals and local community engagement. 

The activities will be implemented in line with the goals of GPSNR, of which Pirelli, BMW and BirdLife International are founding members.