Supplier Engagement
To enhance water security amid changing climate conditions, the Company expects suppliers to operate their businesses according to CPF's Sustainable Sourcing Policy and Supplier Guiding Principle, which encompasses environmental management systems, water management plans, water reduction measures, and wastewater management standards, supported by CPF Water Stewardship Strategy.
The Company is supporting all high water impact suppliers to develop water management plans by 2030. This includes setting policies, raising internal awareness, optimizing water use, and monitoring management outcomes against targets. This initiative will create sustainability throughout the supply chain, reducing risks for the Company, suppliers and surrounding communities as well as to mitigate climate impacts both presently and in the future.
Sharing Knowledge on Water Efficiency Improvement to Suppliers
Recognizing the increasing severity of climate change, especially droughts, CPF has organized a knowledge sharing session on water efficiency improvement for over 200 suppliers during the CPF Capacity Building for Partnership 2024 event. Under the topic "Water Management and Case Studies from the Business Sector", our suppliers learned various techniques used in water usage reduction and water recycling. With this know-how, our suppliers can reduce dependence on external water sources, which enhances business continuity, minimizes impacts on communities and environment, and ensures compliance with regulations.
Water Source Conservation in Collaboration with Communities
The Company regularly participates in activities with relevant stakeholders such as the government, private sector, and civil society. These include surveying and gathering feedback, as well as monitoring water demand, water availability, and water quality in surrounding communities. Key survey results indicate that local communities need access to reliable water sources for their livelihoods and require support for the conservation, restoration, and protection of forested watershed areas and water sources to maintain the biodiversity of the ecosystem. In response, the Company has implemented on-going projects such as the Mun River Conservation project and the community water management capacity-building project.
Bio-Fertilizer Sharing Project for Farmers
Assisting farmers in the surrounding areas facing water shortages, the Company has run the Bio-Fertilizer Sharing Project since 2001. This project utilizes treated water and bio-fertilizers from the biogas energy system of our swine farms and chicken layer complexes. Bio-fertilizer is supplied to farmers for cultivating crops, including palm oil, watermelon, pumpkin, sugarcane, maize, and Napier grass, in nearby areas.
Community Water Management Capacity-Building Project in Collaboration with the Hydro-Informatics Institute
The conservation and restoration of the Mun River in Nakhon Ratchasima Province and the Pasak River Basin in Lopburi Province are critical in securing access to reliable water sources for consumption and agriculture for local communities in those areas. The Company worked with the Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) to organize a workshop to provide knowledge on community water management. Participants, including community representatives and farmers, develop skills in gathering and preparing localized water data; gain understanding on the concepts of community water resource management in accordance with Royal Initiatives; and learn how to use data to monitor water conditions through the ThaiWater application.
Fostering community participation in water management, the training consists of activities that use information technology to identify plantation plots, create water maps and calculate water balance, analyze problems and opportunities related to water management in communities, and explore ways to enhance adaptability to climate change, including floods and droughts.
"Love the Mun River" Project
The Mun River is the main river in the northeastern region, flowing through the Nakhon Ratchasima, Surin, Buriram, Sisaket, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. It serves as a key water source for consumption and agriculture and is a watershed that flows through the areas where the company operates. As such, over the past 16 years, the Company has collaborated with government agencies and local communities to organize activities for the conservation of the Mun River. Activities include tree planting in the upper watershed of Thap Lan National Park and releasing local fish species into the Mun River to generate income for local fishing communities. In addition, the Company has launched the "Water Detective" project involving over 1,000 students from 13 schools. Instilling awareness of ecosystem conservation and sustainable natural resource management, students are taught to analyze the presence of aquatic insect species as an indicator of water quality.
