Musim Mas and Forest Peoples Program
Community land use planning is vital for new development, especially in areas earmarked for palm oil production, where existing rights and livelihoods must be considered. Before we proceed with any new development, Musim Mas carries out a High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) assessment covering the 14 Social Requirements (SRs) that we must respect.
This approach is used during the planning, review, and preparation phases, including negotiations, to address the potential impact of our operations on the affected lands and communities. HCSA assessments also play an essential part in our conservation planning and practices, including our efforts to respect local communities’ customary rights.
The HCSA was initially applied to land that is slated for new plantation development. However, it has since been expanded to include new development on existing plantation holdings. HCSA SR 13 was specifically developed to guide the application of the other Social Requirements when applying the HCSA to existing operations.
Comprising two phases, the pilot involved a Musim Mas plantation in Central Kalimantan:
Phase 1: A desktop study of the SR13 framework to guide a document review by an independent consultant
Phase 2: A field study to verify and validate the implementation of SR13 in partnership with the social NGO Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)
As of September 2022, both phases have been completed with our project partners (FPP and Helen Newing), and a report is being prepared in 2023. Musim Mas aims to submit this to the HCSA for review and feedback.
