BANDUNG – Santosa, President Director of PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI), a subsidiary of the Astra Group operating in the palm oil plantation industry, received The Best CEO with Special Mention: The Most Consistent Listed Company in Efforts to Reduce Pesticide in Pest Management at the Top CEO Indonesia Awards 2024, organized by Tempo-IDNFinancials in Bandung on Friday (15/11).

Having been with Astra Agro Lestari for a long time, Santosa understands that oil palm cultivation is inevitably faced with pest problems. However, chemical pesticides are no longer the only solution, especially considering the harmful environmental effects they cause. For AALI, chemical pesticides are now considered a last resort, used only in seedling processes or in cases of critical pest attacks.

According to AALI's 2023 Sustainability Report, the company has adopted natural food chains for pest control through biological control methods, using natural predators to reduce pest populations. For instance, predatory insects for caterpillar pests, owls for rodent control, and so on.

Additionally, AALI has developed plant areas and conservation sites that serve as habitats for pest predators. By 2023, the company had expanded beneficial plant areas to 2.81 million m², up from 1.97 million m² in 2021 and 2.5 million m² in 2022. The conservation areas also grew, from 5,600 plots in 2021 to 8,200 plots in 2022, and reaching 10,600 plots in 2023.

Despite the challenges of fluctuating commodity prices, AALI has shown consistent performance. By September 2024, the company's revenue increased by 3.8% year-on-year (yoy), while EBITDA grew by 11.1% yoy, marking a positive recovery after the downturn in palm oil prices the previous year.

AALI, which remains a constituent of the Indeks52 by Tempo-IDNFinancials, is no stranger to such recognition. Last year, at the Top CEO Indonesia 2023 in Bali, Santosa was also named The Best CEO in Agriculture for AALI's strong performance. (ZH)