China: Tobacco Ecological Environment Protection, Restoration Project Started

Source from:  TobaccoChina Online 07/28/2014

A tobacco ecological environment protection and restoration project, which is also a biodiversity assessment project, sponsored by British American Tobacco (BAT) Far East Leaf Ltd. was officially started at a ceremony held in Qiubei County of Wenshan Prefecture in southwest China's tobacco-producing Yunnan Province on July 4.

The project was launched under support extended by Wenshan Prefecture Tobacco Company and Qiubei County Tobacco Subcompany.

The project is part of the program for fulfillment of biodiversity protection and social responsibility of BAT as a tobacco manufacturer promoted by BAT around the world. The project is mainly designed to advocate on a full scale coordination and consistency between leaf tobacco production and the ecological environment, harmony between man and nature, and sustainable environmental and social development.

The first phase of the project is dominated by BAT Far East Leaf Ltd., with the support of Wenshan Prefecture Tobacco Company. Nongovernmental organizations have been invited to participate in the execution of the first phase o the project, in which all-round assessment will be jointly conducted of the risks and challenges faced in tobacco growing, and by the ecological environment and biodiversity in the vicinity.

In the first phase of the project, efforts will be made to conduct on-site surveys of the ecological environment and wildlife population in areas around the tobacco-growing zone, collect the relevant information, and conduct on-site verification, discussion and analysis in comparison with the relevant information collected by the local agricultural and forestry departments, etc. On the basis of this, efforts will be made to conduct assessment item by item and arrange priorities of the various factors of influence. Finally, specific programs of action and schemes for monitoring and inspection will be formulated.

At the ceremony, BAT Far East Leaf Ltd. Chief Inspector Liu Pengcheng first of all introduced the background and the great significance of the project, and the situation of and achievements in the execution of the program for fulfillment of biodiversity protection and social responsibility of BAT as a tobacco manufacturer promoted by BAT around the world.

Wenshan Prefecture Tobacco Company Deputy Inspector Wang Jingming and Qiubei County Tobacco Subcompany Deputy Manager Kuang Zhi respectively introduced the basic situation of leaf tobacco production in Wenshan Prefecture and Qiubei County.

BAT technologists interpreted the purposes, requirements, procedures, etc of BAT projects of assessment of risks and opportunities in biodiversity.

Later in the day, leaders and experts with BAT Far East Leaf Ltd., Wenshan Prefecture Tobacco Company and Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences respectively went to Puzhehei and Tianxing Townships to conduct on-site verification, and on-site assessment of both risks and opportunities faced by the ecological environment and in biodiversity in the tobacco-growing zone, in order to gain firsthand data and materials for comprehensive assessment over a next period of time. Enditem