With the morning sun peering behind the fluffy white clouds of the central Sumatran sky, a group of students at high school SMA Negeri 11 in Desa Terusan, Jambi, are gathered around a small field learning about the proper methods of planting oil palm trees. Here, students learn about the entire lifecycle of sustainable palm […]
RAPP Wins Best Private Booth at Pelalawan Expo 2016
A fusion of culture, nature and technology greeted visitors at APRIL subsidiary Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP)’s booth at the Pelalawan Expo 2016, the regency’s largest annual event. The Expo celebrated the cultural, ecological and economic vibrancy of Pelalawan. Show attendees were invited to learn from expert batik makers from RAPP’s community development programme, […]
A New Day for Bracell as it completes Privatisation Exercise
What do textiles, baby wipes, ice cream and high-performance tire cords have in common? Diverse as they are, they all contain specialty cellulose, an ingredient that holds consumer and industrial products such as these together. One of the world’s largest producers of specialty cellulose is Bracell, whose operations in Brazil consist of a secure renewable […]
Breaking Records and Boundaries: Tanoto Scholars Gathering 2016
A double record-breaker. The annual Tanoto Scholars Gathering, held in Indonesia and Singapore, saw record turnouts for both events. Tanoto Scholars gathered for a series of bonding and networking activities. Tanoto Scholars Gathering in Indonesia Also known by its acronym TSG, the August 16-19, 2016 event in Pangkalan Kerinci, Sumatra, Indonesia, received 290 Tanoto Scholars […]
A Closer Look at the Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) Project
Heard of the RER (Restorasi Ekosistem Riau) project? It is a collaborative project aimed at restoring and conserving ecologically important peat forest areas in Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula. Spanning 150,000 hectares, the area was previously either mostly deforested or degraded peatland. APRIL Group established the RER project in 2013 as multi-year commitment to protecting, assessing, restoring and […]
Making a Social Impact: Crossing the Chasm
A solid marketing and branding strategy to help migrant workers in Singapore improve their command of English – that was Team iChange’s grand prize-winning proposal at the inaugural “Crossing the Chasm Challenge 2016”. Organised by the Asia Centre for Social Enterprises and Philanthropy (ACSEP) and sponsored by the Tanoto Foundation, the challenge sought to advance […]
A Father’s Legacy: Yus Herman’s Journey
“My dad is a superhero,” declared Ms Dwi, 36, tears welling in her eyes and the rich baritone of her voice quivering as a lifetime of memories of her late father Mr Yus Herman in an instant came flooding back. Mr Yus Herman was born in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau on the vast island […]
Kishore Mahbubani: Reflections on RGE
Kishore Mahbubani is Dean and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He previously served for 33 years in Singapore’s diplomatic service and is recognised as an expert on Asian and world affairs. (More) In July 2016, RGE was honoured […]
Trash for Cash: No Waste in Cultivating Environmentally-friendly Habits
Asian Agri’s drive towards the adoption of more sustainable practices is not limited to its operations. The palm oil producer joined forces with Tanoto Foundation and the Pelalawan Environment Agency (Badan Lingkungan Hidup Kabupaten Pelalawan or BLH Pelalawan) to strengthen waste management in Air Emas village, Ukui Pelalawan – introducing “trash for cash” initiatives to encourage […]
On-the-ground Snapshots: SIIA visits Pangkalan Kerinci
Snapshots Researchers from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) visited us in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau on August 24-26. Their visit was to establish a stronger understanding of the measures taken and challenges faced by RGE-managed business groups in environmental stewardship and fire prevention. See below for some of the snapshots taken on the ground… and also […]