CPL seeks new deal for communities

CITY Pharmacy Ltd (CPL) is leading a mission to initiate pilot projects within local communities for meaningful income and sustainabillity of natural resources.
This is in partnership with Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) which works towards ensuring rich biodiversity and prosperous communities in the South Asia region. 
“The fact-finding mission target is to initiate pilot projects within local communities to conserve forest resources and maintain eco-system services and make communities take steps to responsible harvesting of their natural resources,” executive director for ANSAB Dr Subedi said.
Dr Subedi and manager-economic development programme, Sushil Gyawali, met with CPL Group chairman Mahesh Patel and discussed how ANSAB could help PNG at the grassroots level with the natural resources they had.
Dr Subedi said: “The difference can be made by creating the environment for local communities to get meaningful income from forest resources they mange.
“This is possible only by changing the way corporations do business so that sustainable practices are rewarded.
Mr Patel said CPL, in its efforts to sustain PNG’s rich and diverse flora and fauna, would work closely with ANSAB by positively educating each piloted community on what possible prospects of income could be generated by using forest resources.
Dr Subedi and his colleague would be in PNG for six days and would travel in Central province, East Sepik and Sandaun, and the Highlands region in the hope of identifying what natural resources people could propagate that could be useful for commercial purposes without destroying the environment.
The fact-finding mission will not only concentrate on piloted projects but will also find markets for the finished products.
“It’s all about conservation, sustainability and raising economic standards in PNG,” Dr Subedi said.