MANILA,
Oct. 19, 2011
(Press Release) -
Paper from KHAN-NA, a unique sustainable tree farming program of Thailand-based premium quality paper maker Double A ( www.DoubleAPaper.com ), 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 honoured 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 Mr. Thirawit Leetavorn, Double A senior executive vice president.
Alleviating the lives of Thai farmers from poverty
Double A Paper launched Paper from KHAN-NA program with the goal to modernise 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 3-5 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.
Double A Paper from KHAN-NA also provide occupational opportunities for the community. 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.
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 1 million farmers after 5 years.
Environmentally responsible production of fiber
While increasing the farm income, Double A Paper from KHAN-NA also increases carbon capture and helps in preserving the world's natural rainforests from deforestation. 400 million Double A Paper-Tree grown along KHAN-NA absorbs 6.7 million tons of CO2 per year. Paper from KHAN-NA produces sustainable fiber without the need to source from natural forest trees to support its fiber requirements. This is Double A's unique approach to raising sustainability among the local communities and while preserving the environment for generations to come.
Asia's premiere CSR awards program
The yearly event 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.
His Excellency, Benigno S. Aquino III, the President of the Philippines, handed over the awards to the winning companies. The awards were presented by the Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, the Asian Institute of Management and Intel.
Asian CSR Awards concludes the 2-day Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) held at the Edsa Shangri-la Hotel which brought together in one venue the very best CSR practitioners in Asia and other parts of the world to share the how to's of CSR. The conference is said to be the best program in the region assembled on CSR.
About Double A
Double A paper is manufactured by Double A (1991) Public Company Limited, one of the most advanced fully-integrated pulp and paper manufacturers in the world. Double A paper is produced from fast growing farmed trees grown by contract farmers in Thailand, providing local farming families extra income. The farmed trees absorb 6.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release 4.9 million tonnes of oxygen into the atmosphere every year. Double A's pulp and paper production practices set an industry benchmark in environmental responsibility. Double A uses water from a purpose-built 36 million cubic metre reservoir that collects rainwater and run off, and is used to provide the mill with 100% of its water needs, while recycled water is used to irrigate the trees. Additionally, Double A uses tree waste (bark and lignin) to provide electricity for the mill, saving 340 million litres of oil being used annually. This also generates more electricity than the mill can use and the excess is sent back to the local grid. Double A produces a smoother, brighter, whiter, high-quality copy paper that helps businesses to run smoother with minimal impact to the environment. Double A paper and stationery products are available in more than 120 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.DoubleAPaper.com .
