• Oil palm plantations will retain more water than the degraded and cleared rainforests that it is replacing and has a beneficial effect on the hydrological cycle by increasing rainfall in the planted areas.
  
  
• Wilmar monitors and treats all effluent and wastewater. Wastewater generated from milling operations contains organic materials from the crushing of palm fruits.
  
  The organic content of the wastewater is then reduced as the water passes through various processes relying on the natural activities of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria to break down the organic materials ensuring that all stringent national legal standards are met, eliminating the need to add chemicals.
  
  
• From 2008 onwards, the Group will use effluent water for land irrigation and fertiliser, thus enabling us to conserve water and reduce the need to apply additional fertiliser on our palm trees.

The Group is a firm advocate of Integrated Pest Management. We believe in managing the delicate equilibrium between the natural enemies of the pest and the pest itself. This is achieved through a continuous surveillance of the pest population and its different life cycle stage. Once the population exceeds the threshold level, an appropriate counter measure through the integration of biological and cultural control will be advocated. Use of chemical control is considered only as a last resort when all biological and cultural methods fail.

Environmentally friendly practices in our estates are generally well established. On-going projects are mainly focused on biological control of pests such as leaf eating caterpillars and rodents.

Research is being conducted on the use of soil microbes to improve soil fertility with the aim of reducing the usage of inorganic fertiliser. Studies have also been done on improvement of fertiliser application techniques with the aim of reducing leaching. We use controlled release fertiliser and practice sub-surfacing manuring where appropriate to reduce leaching losses.

Our soil conservation measures include construction of silt pits for soil and water conservation in non-terraced areas. Fertiliser inputs are also discriminatory according to the site yield potential of the palms.

• Wilmar strictly adheres to all national laws governing labour rights.
  
  
• Wilmar respects the rights of all personnel to form and join trade unions of their choice and the rights to bargain collectively.
  
  
• Wilmar does not accept or support the use of illegal, abusive, or enforced child labour within our operations anywhere in the world. We adhere to national laws that require those working on farms to be at least 15 years old in Indonesia and 16 years old in Malaysia provided that the job does not disrupt school attendance and that these employees are fully protected from potential economic exploitation and moral and physical hazards.

• Wilmar will not threaten or diminish, directly or indirectly, the resources or tenure rights of local communities. Wilmar diligently strives to ensure that it is using land to which it has a legal right and in which the country’s government recognises us as the rightful entity to manage the land in question.
  
  
• If there are land disputes, Wilmar seeks to resolve them. Fair compensation will be provided to local communities in the event of loss or damage affecting legal or customary rights, property, resources or livelihoods. Wilmar will endeavour to undertake all measures to help avoid such a loss or damage.
  
  
• In Malaysia, there is identifiable land title and land compensation is not normally applicable as companies develop land with proper ownership. We negotiate with land owners and if there is any compensation to be paid, then this is done on a voluntary basis for humanitarian reasons only and will be part of the acquisition process.
  
  
• In Indonesia, there are no clear land titles. The Indonesian government and local authorities decide which areas can be developed for agriculture.
  
  
• In Indonesia, Wilmar negotiates directly with individual landowners and local community leaders. This entire process is witnessed by local officials and the Group also keeps photographic evidence of proceedings. Wilmar pays statutory compensation to the local community leaders for existing crops, together with a full notarisation of agreements documenting ownership of land rights.
  
  
• Land tenure and rights in Indonesia remain ambiguous. However, Wilmar will work to ensure that all mutual agreements with communities and individuals in Indonesia are clearly defined, documented and legally established, thus demonstrating clear evidence of long term land use rights for our land.