Preventing Fires Through Community Partnership

• A village-based programme that places awareness, sustainable practices and local participation at the centre of fire prevention.

Since 2014, SD Guthrie's Indonesian subsidiary, Minamas Plantation, has worked with universities in Indonesia to develop Desa Mandiri Cegah Api, an integrated community-based fire-prevention programme. It operates in high-risk areas around the company's operations and covers more than 3,425 villages.

The programme helps communities understand forest and land-fire risks and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. Its outreach extends to teachers, principals and students through Guru Peduli Api and Sekolah Peduli Api. The Penghargaan Desa Bebas Api initiative recognises fire-free villages, encouraging zero-burning practices on farms.

Fire prevention is linked with village development. Guthrie reports initiatives including handicraft production using palm fronds and other local materials, designed to help communities develop viable sources of income. In peatland areas, the related Desa Mandiri Peduli Gambut programme focuses specifically on peat-fire awareness.

Community action is supported by Guthrie's Zero Burning Policy and its commitment to monitor areas within five kilometres of its Indonesian estate boundaries. The company uses satellite, ground and drone monitoring, alongside fire towers, trained response teams and a public hotspot dashboard. Its monitoring covers more than 2300,000 hectares in Indonesia and uses more than 50 drones.

Desa Mandiri Cegah Api shifts the emphasis from reacting to fires to reducing the conditions in which they begin. By combining local knowledge, education, sustainable practices and operational monitoring, the programme aims to protect communities, ecosystems and air quality through shared responsibility.