THE PHILIPPINES, OCTOBER 21, 2011: Paper from KHAN-NA, a unique sustainable tree farming program of Thailand-based premium quality paper maker Double A, emerged as the winner in the Poverty Alleviation category of the 9th Asian Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards, Asia’s premiere awards program in corporate social responsibility.
“We are deeply honored and grateful for being considered as one of the best in Asia in alleviating poverty. This award is a validation that our Paper from KHAN-NA program is a representation of Asian ingenuity and our strong commitment in corporate social responsibility”, said Thirawit Leetavorn, Double A senior executive vice president.
The goal of the Paper from KHAN-NA program is to modernize the pulp and paper industry through a revolutionary Asian solution to sourcing fiber. Paper from KHAN-NA is the production of sustainable fiber through the cultivation of Double A Paper-Tree, a hybrid species of hardwood which is well adopted to Thailand’s tropical climate, in straight rows along Khan-Na, the unused space between rice paddies.
This program seeks to address two social issues faced by Thai farmers such as the difficulty of finding agricultural employment during off peak season and the instability of income from planting cash crops which is directly affected by several factors such price fluctuation.
Under this program, Double A offers farmers with a buyback guarantee which they earn after three to five years of paper tree cultivation. Matured trees are sold back to Double A which will be used as a sustainable raw material for high quality paper production. In this process, Thai farmers enjoy the aggregate additional income of up to THB 5 billion.
Aside from the buyback guarantee farmers also earn supplementary income from cutting matured trees, transporting logs to Double A mill and working in nurseries where tree saplings are initially grown. The additional income that farmers earn enables them to send their children to school. The program also increases carbon capture and helps in preserving the world’s natural rainforests from deforestation.
Double A Paper from KHAN-NA is already a nationwide program which covers 60 provinces of Thailand. The program aims to encourage additional 10,000 farmers every month and a million farmers after five years.
The Asian CSR Awards organized by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) recognizes and honors Asian companies and non-Asian companies with strong presence in the Asian region alike for their excellent CSR works and commitments. The awards come in four categories namely Health Enhancement, Environmental Excellence, Poverty Alleviation and Educational Improvement.
