The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

Community Agro-­‐Forestry. In keepingwith its commitments to reforestingdegraded lands within the Rimba RayaReserve, InfiniteEARTH intends toimplement a community-­‐based agro-­‐forestry program for nativecash-­‐crop species. The program will subdivide portions of theProject Area near Project Zone villages designated for restorationinto community plots. Villages can then subdivide these plotsinto family subplots if they choose. Each community plot andfamily subplot will be managed by “virtual” owners, who willenjoy the economic benefits of their labor. To support thesesemi-­‐industrial smallholder estates, a seedling/sapling breedingprogram will be developed and funded by InfiniteEARTH with afocus on management and ownership by community women.In addition to ecosystem restoration benefits, the program willachieve several collateral benefits. First, it will incorporate acommunity-­‐based co-­‐op structure that promotes family-­‐ownedenterprises and “virtual” land-­‐tenure. Second, as mentioned inprevious section on reforestation, the plan is based on multi-­storyplantations of native species cash crops, including fruit, nut,spice, and rubber trees, inter-­‐planted with rare species (such asramin and meranti) and all competing with the re-­‐growth ofsecondary forest.Particularly when combined with fruit crops, natural “junglerubber” plantations can provide a sustainable income for localcommunities as well as a dependable supplemental food sourcefor orangutan populations.Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM). Globally, 1 billion people areunable to secure a nutritionally adequate diet to keep themhealthy and active, and 100 million of those people suffer fromthe consequences of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM).Childhood malnutrition claims the lives of 5 million children eachyear.According to projections made by the Committee on ForeignRelations in their report on Global Food Insecurity presented tothe United States Senate (February 2009), “By 2050, it isprojected that population growth will require a doubling in farmoutput, yet growth rates in food production in some regions havebeen stagnated.” As countries become more affluent, thedemand for protein in their diet increases at rates faster than thepopulation or food production growth rates.PEM is the most lethal form of malnutrition and hunger. It isbasically a lack of calories and protein because protein isnecessary for key body functions including provision of essentialamino acids and the development and maintenance of muscles.In their pursuit of sustenance level food production, the villagessurrounding the Rimba Raya project area have historicallydeforested progressively larger tracts of forest for the productionof low nutritional value starch crops such as rice as well asburning out swamp forests for the creation of seasonal lakes forfish harvesting. Lastly, additional forest land is cleared for cattleproduction. In addition to planned deforestation, the use of firefor clearing is a primary source of deforestation by uncontrolledfire.Project proponents intend to provide and finance Portable FarmsAquaponics Systems as a means of mitigating these stressesplaced on the surrounding environment as well as substantiallyincreasing the output and quality of protein and organicvegetable production.136