Rainforest Alliance

Sun Plant Agro Limited (SPA) is a pioneer in commercial plantation activities in the northeastern region of the state of Bihar, India.  The project consists of rehabilitation of about 950 acres (384 ha) of degraded wasteland by adopting a commercial plantation model with various tree species. The project sites are located in districts which are some of the most underdeveloped regions in India with respect to several human development. The project is expected to reduce/remove 56,379 tC02e over the course of the 33 year project lifetime. The project does not lead to any displacement of pre-project activities since the lands were barren and there were no significant activities at the sites prior to project implementation.

The major purposes of the project activities are to: establish and manage commercial timber and Jatropha plantations; sequester C02 and enhance carbon stocks through forest planting in barren, degraded lands and generate high quality emission reductions in greenhouse gases that can be measured, monitored, and verified; reclaim degraded lands in a sustainable manner and promote environmental conservation such as soil conservation, enhancement, and protection of water sources; and increase the economic and social well being of native rural populations through employment generation.

The project will contribute to the sustainable development of the region. The project activity benefit the lives of the native rural by providing regular round the year employment and easily accessible fodder. Local farmers will have the opportunity to be exposed to the scientific forestry practices, techniques for better watershed management, land use planning and soil-moisture conservation. Workers are also paid at a much higher rate than the minimum wages stipulated by the government. The project has also opened new opportunities among the local people about effective utilization of their otherwise barren lands.