Integrated HCV and HCS Assessment on Customary Land in Papua New Guinea
Client: New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) had been approached by a number of individuals and communities who wished to develop oil palm on their land. NBPOL already has a smallholder programme which enables the company to support communities with oil palm development. As a member of the RSPO, NBPOL first had to undertake an integrated HCV and HCS assessment. In PNG, which is a high forest cover landscape, this is difficult to find land that is both suitable for oil palm development and free from disputes.
Assignment: PT Hijau Daun was commissioned to conduct the integrated assessment which was undertaken over nine potential blocks in West New Britain. This involved a biodiversity survey as well as a social survey. This was a particularly complicated examination as it involved establishing clarity around land ownership, where land is owned by clans and the boundaries of land ownership are often unclear. Additionally, there was a suite of claims on land that had to be understood in order to come to a final result.
Outcome: The completed assessment was signed-off by the HCVN, which enabled NBPOL to be one step forward in the process of development of a RSPO New Planting Procedure over these areas.