Sustainable plantation
"Facts Poligrow" a balance of the achievements reached between 2008 and 2010
Country: Colombia
Region: Meta
Town: Mapiripán
Arable land: 15.000 hectares (land belonging to Poligow and strategic alliances) forecast for April 2011.
Poligrow Colombia was founded in 2008; its first undertaking was a sustainable plantation project for the production of palm oil at Hacienda Macond, located in the municipality of Mapiripán in the Provincial Department of Meta.
To date,To this day 3600 ha. have been planted. From those ha 2.500 ha. are our own and 1.100 ha. belong to our strategic ally Ita Vegetable Oils S.A.S. By 2016 the influence area growth is projected to be up to 15,000 ha. planted 50% on our own land and 50% on land owned by local cultivators, through strategic alliances, in line with Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) criteria and principles.
The investment made in this project has brought numerous benefits to the community of Mapiripán. Among them we mention more than 133 formal jobs generated, reduced staple food costs, education in technical topics as well as in health and safety, and diverse projects to mitigate negative impacts on the environment and protect the biodiversity in the zone, with ongoing community and government agency support and credibility.
Poligrow Colombia is supported by certification and quality systems to guarantee the sustainability of its processes. Therefore, it is an ordinary member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that, by applying strict economic, farming, social and environmental guidelines, determines plantation management and community and environmental activity relations.
Through the implementation of a quality management system, Poligrow Colombia Ltda. seeks quality certification ISO 9001 and includes effective regulations to protect its employees’ health and safety in all of its processes.
In parallel, Poligrow Colombia forwards different initiatives related to the plantation activities, which allow monitoring such activities and contributing to improving the community’s current living conditions and the conditions of the ecosystems related to the Project. Some of the initiatives are to:
- Native Reforestation and Sustainable Forest Exploitation - Mapiripán - Colombia
- Environmental base line Mapiripán - Colombia
- Epifitarium - Mapiripán - Colombia
- Monitor greenhouse effect gas emissions - Carbon footprint
- Restore ecosystems
- Evaluate social and environmental impact
- Lead environmental awareness campaigns.
Development of research projects:
Poligrow is committed to researching and developing new technologies in the fields of vegetable oil production and biotechnology. This activity is developed alongside international partners, universities and specialized entities, both public and private.
- Experimental crops for energy generation Mapiripán - Colombia
- Experimental crops for dietary support applications Mapiripán - Colombia
Social Support:
Poligrow offers the following benefits to the area’s inhabitants and other people involved in the project:
- Direct and indirect employment in areas where projects are set up.
- Economic development in the area.
- Boosting agricultural development.
- Extension of road and healthcare networks, with help from the government.
- Technical training and education.
Technical Support:
Poligrow ensures that it makes the most of available services and resources when carrying out its activities. It also relies on continuous help from technical agricultural engineers, staff who are specialists in state-of-the-art agricultural technology. This guarantees that production methods meet the required environmental and legal standards set out by the company and the State. Poligrow also aims to work closely with strategic alliances, who will manage their own crop cultivation with as much technical support as possible, with the overall objective of producing optimum harvests.
Promoting improvement and innovation:
Poligrow is actively seeking to develop different methods of boosting agricultural activity. This involves investigating other oil-producing crops as a form of diversification and furthering technological innovation to improve crop yields. This, in turn, will provide electrical energy for the community and promote self-sufficiency.
Institutional partnerships:
The organisation of the Poligrow Colombia project has been made possible thanks to logistical support from the local council and through policies set out by the regional government. Poligrow is looking to work with a range of non-government organisations (NGOs) dedicated to conserving the environment and promoting human rights.
Poligrow has recently signed into an agreement with SENA (the Poligrow – SENA Alliance) via which it will offer training programmes on topics like the cultivation of oil palm. These sessions will be the backbone for training both people involved in the cooperatives and members of the community.
