A Monument to Cooperation: AstraZeneca Puts Down Roots in Java

(Above) Volunteers join the tree planting activities, part of AstraZeneca Indonesia’s CSR program

To the east of Yogyakarta city, Banyunibo stands alone; an island of stone, marooned in a sea of green farmland. Unlike most buildings from the ancient Mataram kingdom – like nearby Prambanan and Ratu Boko – this ninth-century temple leads a solitary life. 

Out on these sunbaked plains, there are hardly any trees to provide shade. Particularly in the dry season, the area can become very hot and arid during the day, chasing people back to their cars and villages. But all that is about to change. 

A Shade Better: AstraZeneca Program Targets Tree Cover Density  

In February 2023, a joint tree-planting program kicked off in Cepit sub-village, where Banyunibo is located. Implemented by AstraZeneca and with support from Trees4Trees, the program will expand tree cover and provide more shade at the site.  

AstraZeneca Indonesia is working to deliver social and economic benefits to the local community, as part of an overarching goal to improve the environment.

AstraZeneca Indonesia's top management volunteering at the tree-planting event, including Se Whan Chon, Country President (fifth from the left); and Rizwan Abudaeri, Director of Market Access, Government Affairs and Regulatory Affairs (fifth from the right)
(Above) AstraZeneca Indonesia’s top management volunteering at the tree-planting event, including Se Whan Chon, Country President (fifth from the left); and Rizwan Abudaeri, Director of Market Access, Government Affairs and Regulatory Affairs (fifth from the right)

Providing Benefits for People and Nature 

The program provided a number of benefits to the local environment: restoring bare land, increasing water availability, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating environmental problems in various locations.

“The tree-planting event also included the riverbanks,” says Novita, Assistant Planning Manager at Trees4Trees. She explains that the trees planted will protect the rivers from erosion. “They will also increase rainwater absorption in the ground, preventing rainwater from flowing directly into the river,” she added.  

The program chose trees that will benefit communities. Species like mahogany, teak, damar, and trembesi, provide shade, support water availability, and produce a vast amount of oxygen; while fruit trees such as avocado, durian, and sapodilla can offer a source of income to local enterprises. 

(Above) Ms. Belinda Aw, Cluster Procurement Manager at AstraZeneca Singapore & Indonesia, plants a tree with the help of a Trees4Trees forester.
(Above) Ms. Belinda Aw, Cluster Procurement Manager at AstraZeneca Singapore & Indonesia, plants a tree with the help of a Trees4Trees forester.

The Program in Numbers  

The program involved many different people, working together to provide a range of environmental and social benefits, while also raising awareness in local communities about the importance of trees. 

  • 260 trees planted 
  • 2,500 square meters of land 
  • 500 volunteers from AstraZeneca Indonesia 
  • 25 groups, led by 18 experts from Trees4Trees 
  • 3 local communities 

“We hope everyone will benefit from the trees we have planted in this area,” says Novita. “Especially the local communities in the village, who can enjoy the shade provided by the trees and the oxygen they provide.,” Trees planted during the project will grow to provide shade for the temple, ecosystem benefits for the surrounding area, and livelihood opportunities for the people who live and work here. 

AstraZeneca Program : member of the Trees4trees planting team
Members of the Trees4Trees planting team

In the fertile heartland of Java, history and traditions run deep. Banyunibo is a symbol of this proud heritage. In the local language, the temple’s name means ‘dripping water’. With every drop of sweat shed during the recent tree-planting program, and every drop of rain that falls from now on, a forest will spring up around the temple; a living monument to the power of cooperation, shading the temple and its visitors for generations to come. 

For more information, and to find out how Trees4Trees is working together with AstraZeneca to restore forests around Indonesia, visit our website. 

Planted 1000 Trees to Restore the Soil Fertility in Tanjungwangi Village

planted 1000 trees
Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve
Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve

In the series of 2022 planting season, Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve planted 1,000 trees in a tree-planting event. The event aimed to restore soil fertility in Tanjungwangi Village, which is in Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency.  

The tree-planting event is also part of the environmental improvement effort around the Citarik river watershed, which was one of Trees4Trees’ new planting areas. Five types of tree seedlings were planted during the tree-planting event, which was conducted in a land of 10,000-meter squares in Tanjungwangi Village.  

“We planted eucalyptus, manglid, mahogany, avocado, and coffee. This event also involved seven farmers and three local workers,” said Ahdan Ramdani, the Trees4Trees Citarik site coordinator.   

Planting trees for conservation purpose 

The land where trees were planted has been unproductive for the past five years. Long ago, the lands were planted with various kinds of crops but later abandoned and have not been planted with any plants. As the result, the lands become barren and poor in nutrients. 

Like any other village in Cicalengka District, most residents in Tanjungwangi work as factory workers. Most of them were farmers before. However, since the factories began to be established around the village, there has been a change in the people’ livelihood. Most farmers switched their job to become factory workers.  

“The condition of the lands is very poor. Therefore, the main purpose of this planting event is for conservation, that is to restore the soil fertility,” Ahdan revealed. 

CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees
planted 1000 trees

Ahdan also said that besides restoring soil fertility, the trees planted in the tree-planting event were also expected to maintain the water sources and prevent erosion as well as floods which often happen in this area. 

The tree planting event was supported by CSR program of Barekurve  

On the tree-planting event, which was held last December 2022, more than 600 seedlings were planted with the help of Barekurve staff as tree planter volunteers. While the rest of the seedlings were planted by local farmers. 

Barekurve representative, Sheila, revealed all of the staff are excited to be involved in the tree-planting event. Barekurve as an apparel company was also proud to be part of the environmental improvement around Citarik watershed through a tree-planting event.  

planted 1000 trees
CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees

“We are aware that in this modern day, the number of tree covers in Indonesia is declining day by day. Especially in Java Island as the center of the economics of this country. We think that planting trees can be a solution, so we initiated this tree-planting event as part of our CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees. Through the event, we want to contribute to environmental improvement, starting from this village. We’re hoping with this tree-planting event, we can help a little to make a green impact on the environment,” Sheila said. 

 

6250 Trees Planted in a Collaboration with NEC Indonesia

6,250 Trees Planted in a Collaboration with NEC Indonesia
Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

As a concern for environmental improvement and helping the local economy, Trees4Trees collaborates with NEC Indonesia to plant 6,250 trees planted on the lands of Sukaresmi Village and Sukaharja Village, West Java. The trees are planted in a total area of 10.5 hectares and involve 25 local farmers where trees are planted in their lands. A wide variety of trees ranging from fruit trees like avocado, mango, and durian, to woods like mahogany, teak, and albizia were planted in the tree-planting program.  

Pandu Budi Wahono, the Trees4Trees Program Manager said that conservation function is the main purpose of the program, but it is also expected that the tree planting will be beneficial for the local community. 

“Conservation function is the main purpose of the program so that trees planted will produce oxygen and maintain the water sources. But we are hoping that it will also be useful for the socio-economic community because we involve around 25 local farmers in total in the program,” said Pandu. He also said that mahogany trees will be planted along the village roads to make an improvement on the environment of the village public facility.  

According to Pandu, there is quite a lot of unproductive land in both Sukaresmi and Sukaharja villages, so it is expected that this program can be continued in the following year. 

Trees Planted Part of the NEC Corporate Social Responsibility Program  

The tree-planting program is a part of NEC Indonesia Corporate Social Responsibility Program that focuses on environmental sustainability to preserve nature. Joji Yamamoto, the NEC Indonesia President Director said that it is in line with NEC 2030 vision in the environmental aspect: Living harmoniously with the earth to secure the future. 

“The environment is one of the focuses of NEC 2030Vision to ensure a sustainable earth, so that we can live in harmony with nature to protect the future of this planet,” he said.  

Yamamoto on behalf of NEC, also thank the village head and all the residents of Sukaresmi and Sukaharja village to accept trees donation. “NEC Indonesia is proud to be able to take part in environmental preservation today. We thank all residents who have agreed to accept donations of thousands of trees from us to be planted on your land,” he added.  

CSR with NEC Indonesia
Photo: Trees4Trees/Yulianisa Dessenita

Started the Program with Tree-planting Event  

Marking the start of the tree-planting program, a tree-planting event was conducted last December 10, 2023. 250 trees were successfully planted in the public facilities of Sukaresmi village during the event. While the rest of the 6,000 trees were planted on 20 farmers’ lands in Sukaresmi and Sukaharja village last December 2022.  

26 staff of NEC participated in the event as tree planter volunteers, including the President Director, Joji Yamamoto. One of NEC staff who volunteers as a tree planter, Fathan, said that as part of NEC family, he is proud to be involved in the event. “We are grateful, especially because we can contribute to environmental improvement, not only for the benefit that we get today but also for the future,” he said. 

6250 trees planted
Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.

With the implementation of the tree-planting program in his village, the head of Sukaresmi village, Yana Sunarya thanked NEC and Trees4Trees for the program in the context of the conservation in his village. “We thank the tree-planting program. Hopefully, the trees planted can supplement the oxygen as well as the water source for prolonged life. By planting trees in our village, we also hope the trees will bring a great benefit for the villagers,” said Yana.