Asia Plantation Capital (APC) is an owner and operator of a diverse range of commercial plantation and farming businesses across the Asia-Pacific region and now increasingly globally, part of the Asia Plantation Capital Group of associated companies. Their focus is on multicultural and diverse plantation projects geared to the domestic and commercial demands of the countries in which they operate. Working closely with and supporting fragile local communities is an underlying core principle of the APC business, providing social and cultural support as well as investment to move these communities away from traditional deforestation and illegal logging activities as a main income source. Established officially in 2008, although operating privately since 2002, the group now has plantation and agricultural projects on four continents with operational projects at various stages in Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, The Gambia, North America and Europe.
As part of the APC Group’s strategy of becoming a fully integrated global plantations and end products manufacturing and supply company, the group has expanded globally into manufacturing and retail operations for both end products and investment consultancy, companies like Fragrance Du Bois, Plantation Capital Plc, Asia Plantation Singapore, The Ceylon Tea Company, Investorwise Plc, APC Distilleries, Plantation Homes, Africasia Funds, Energy Plantations and Africasia Palm Oil are either wholly owned subsidiaries or strategic associated partner companies. Each company operates its own stand alone business model and will be joined during 2012 by our own perfumery, chain of retail shops and bamboo flooring factories in Asia and the USA.
Our mission is to become the leading operator of sustainably managed forestry and agricultural plantations, from project evaluation through to plantation management and forestry product distribution. We believe corporate responsibility is not just about securing profit for shareholders and investors, but also to contribute positively to society and the environment.
Products/Services
Forestry Investment Management Services | Corporate, Social Responsibility and Sustainable Investment | Plantation Managers & Advisors
Why we are a green organisation
Asia Plantation Capital (APC) is at the forefront of this industry in creating systems that have an acceptable social impact whilst sustaining the natural resources that are affected by commercial plantations. APC intends to continue to pioneer new concepts in sustainable forestry such as developing our own natural fertiliser and inter-planting with species that naturally support the forest ecosystem. Modern forestry generally concerns itself with assisting forests to provide timber as raw material for wood products, wildlife habitat, natural water quality management, recreation, landscape and community protection, employment, aesthetically appealing landscapes, biodiversity management, watershed management, erosion control, and a ‘sink’ for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Forest ecosystems have come to be seen as the most important component of the biosphere and forestry has emerged as a vital field of science, applied art, and technology.
In Sri Lanka, plans featuring ‘good forestry practice’ must always consider the needs of other stakeholders such as nearby communities or rural residents living within or adjacent to forested areas. We consider tree felling and environmental legislation when developing our strategies.
One fundamental reason for illegal logging is that forestry is the only source of income in many rainforest regions, and families there have been exploited. APC believes that the introduction of sustainable plantations is the answer. At APC, we aim to be both eco-friendly and ethical. We employ local labour in all our plantations and pay well above the annual wage rate in all countries in which we operate. Staff work eight hour days with ample rest periods, and in Sri Lanka we provide them and their families with free land to grow their own food. We also offer employees finance to help purchase their own homes or improve their existing accommodation. Currently semi-skilled labour in Sri Lanka is deserting the land because of low wages and lack of long-term prospects, but we at APC provide both above-average wages and a minimum one-year contract of employment. On all our plantations, we minimise the use of pesticides and chemicals, and our policy is only to use them if there is no alternative. We also operate a system of intercropping on the plantations, which is the planting of crops in between the trees during the early years to help provide cover and protection. The process introduces nutrients into the soil which in turn help the trees develop whilst also providing revenue and food for employees. This method is now widely utilised in ethical plantations all round the world. The cover crops we grow include peppers, chillies, gliricidia (a leaf protein) and carrots. All surplus food crops are sold in the local markets, providing extra income for our plantation workers.
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