Earthqualizer, a non-profit focused on sustainability and social equity in landscapes affected by deforestation, has achieved a notable milestone, by protecting two million hectares of forest from commodity-driven deforestation in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
This equates to an area of forest twelve times the size of Greater London, or 2.8 million standard football pitches, representing around 6.5% of the land used globally for palm oil production.
Since 2015, Earthqualizer has collaborated with a variety of corporate partners, NGOs and local communities on deforestation reduction initiatives.
It monitors around 30 million hectares of land on a biweekly basis, through its work alongside Inovasi Digital, which provides digital tools for sustainability monitoring and regulatory compliance, and MosaiX, a European start-up offering data, engagement, and strategic guidance for companies navigating sustainability legislation.
Impact matters
Commenting on the milestone, Ihwan Rafina, senior director at MosaiX, said, “In sustainability, impact is what really matters, and preventing 2m hectares of forest loss is a fantastic milestone. We’re proud of the impact our work is having on landscapes and local communities – but there is still so much left to do to deliver true environmental, social and economic justice in the agricultural supply chain.
“The Earthqualizer Foundation, alongside Inovasi Digital and MosaiX, will continue to work together with forward-thinking companies, NGOs, governments and local communities to transform commodity supply chains for the sustainable benefit of people and nature.”
NDPE commitments
As a result of Earthqualizer’s efforts, some 84 company groups have formally adopted No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) commitments. In response to potential NDPE violations identified by Earthqualizer, 39 groups issued Stop Work Orders and 35 groups began implementing structured Recovery Plans.
Achieving the milestone of two million protected hectares illustrates the effectiveness of Earthqualizer’s integrated approach, the group said in a statement, adding that many challenges still remain.
‘The work is far from over,’ it noted. ‘As highlighted in the Earthqualizer report – Outstanding Debt, many companies have yet to fulfil their NDPE recovery obligations despite years of documented forest violations. This report highlights the critical challenge: that monitoring and alerting alone are not enough.
‘To achieve true social and environmental justice, organisations that have profited from this land conversion throughout the supply chain must share responsibility and deliver follow-up recovery.’ Read more here.
