APP Group, an Indonesia-based pulp, paper, and forestry company, along with a consortium of Proforest, WWF-Indonesia and KKI WARSI have reached an early milestone in PROTECT30, an initiative dedicated to conserving forests, protecting biodiversity, and strengthening community resilience in Sumatra’s critical Bukit Tigapuluh landscape.
As one of the program’s first on-the-ground steps, the consortium has planted a 17-hectare (42-acre) forage area with local fruit trees to support Sumatran elephants. Launched in February 2026, PROTECT30 covers a program area of roughly 400,000 hectares (about 988,000 acres), including forests and community villages.
What happens in landscapes like Bukit Tigapuluh matters well beyond Indonesia. For North American companies committed to responsible supply chains, sustainability increasingly reaches beyond sourcing to the people, forests, and landscapes connected to them. That kind of lasting change is rarely achieved by one organization alone.
“Lasting success depends on businesses, conservation organizations, government agencies, and local communities staying committed to the work together,” said Elim Sritaba, Chief Sustainability Officer of APP Group. “By putting strong foundations in place now – shared governance, agreed methods, and trust on the ground, we’ll transform a conservation and restoration program into holistic, long-term sustainability across an entire landscape.”
Spanning parts of Jambi and Riau provinces, Bukit Tigapuluh is one of the island’s last significant natural forest landscapes and home to globally important biodiversity, including roughly 10 percent of the Sumatran elephant population, a substantial share of wild Sumatran tigers, and orangutans at reintroduction sites. The newly established forage area is designed to increase food availability and support habitat connectivity for the critically endangered elephant population.
“PROTECT30 was established as a long-term collaborative platform that integrates habitat conservation, landscape connectivity, and community livelihoods. By fostering partnerships among governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector, we aim to ensure that interventions are both ecologically and socially relevant, while contributing to the sustainable management of landscapes. We are delighted to have the consortium to implement the program and to have the support from private sector, government and other stakeholders”, said Taufiq Alimi, Executive Director, Proforest Southeast Asia.
PROTECT30 will also contribute to remediation activities aligned with the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Remedy Framework, reflecting APP’s broader commitment to responsible forestry practices and long-term environmental and social outcomes.
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