CP Foods, BKP make use of satellite imagery to eliminate crop burning

CP Foods has turned to daily satellite imagery as it strives to monitor and eliminate the burning of cornfields from which it procures its supplies.

This initiative has been specifically designed to guarantee that the corn procured by CP Foods is devoid of any residue from burning practices by the company's commitment to sustainable sourcing and environmental responsibilities and to ensure that its supply chain upholds the highest standards of ecological integrity.

Bangkok Produce Merchandising (BKP), which sources key animal feed for CP Foods, is proactively working with local corn suppliers to eliminate dust emissions resulting from burning.

BKP is committed to eradicating this dust source by utilising satellite data to identify hotspots and monitor field-burning activities within its corn supply chain.

Worapot Suratwisit, BKP’s deputy managing director, says that the corn burning monitoring initiative is a crucial component of the “Partner to Green: Corn Suppliers United Against PM 2.5 Pollution” programme.

Launched by BKP in October, the programme underscores BKP's dedication to environmental sustainability and its proactive role in addressing air quality concerns.

BKP maintains close cooperation with local corn suppliers for the daily exchange of hotspot data. These suppliers play a crucial role in ensuring the data's accuracy by consulting with farmers registered in the corn traceability system, to validate this information within seven days.

Upon receiving reports, local corn suppliers engage with farmers to cross-reference reported field-burning incidents with satellite imagery.

BKP also sends representatives to educate farmers, aiming to raise awareness and promote sustainable methods for managing corn residues.

The company enforces a policy of suspending purchases for one year from farmers who persist in field-burning practices.

Sa-Nga Prommuang, a local corn supplier in Chiang Rai province, has praised the corn field burning monitoring system initiated by BKP as an impactful approach for local suppliers to address field burning, thus mitigating PM 2.5 pollution collaboratively.

Additionally, BKP encourages public participation in monitoring and reporting farmers' burning practices.

The F-Farm Application, designed for this purpose, enables users to report occurrences of cornfield burning.

Should any reported incidents fall outside the network of BKP-registered farmers, the company will liaise with the relevant authorities to manage the situation, contributing to the widespread effort against smoke and dust pollution.

BKP has been pioneering the purchase of corn through a traceability system since 2016, adhering to the “No Mountain, No Burning, We Buy” principle to guarantee corn sourcing is free from deforestation and burning.

Actively promoting a public-private partnership model, BKP is committed to enhancing the capacities of its partner suppliers in responsible corn sourcing and supporting the journey towards the net-zero target by 2050.