From the outset, Malé International wanted to contribute to a sustainable development of rural and forest areas in Nepal, in a socially responsible way, benefiting a maximum of people, and in collaboration with existing structures and communities.

The first collaboration was started in Sagarnath, where the local forest development project (SFDP) has planted eucalyptus trees on about 6000 hectares to fulfill the timber needs of the country. Malé leased an existing distillation unit from SFDP, and paid poor families in the Sarlahi district to collect eucalyptus leaves that would otherwise go to waste, in order to distill eucalyptus essential oil. A next step was to lease from SFDP the fallow land in the areas where the trees were cut. Malé International assigned the land (35ha) to local farmer families who now undertake cultivation of these plots under our buy-back guarantee scheme. Malé provides seeds and technical know-how, and also allows farmers to use its water pumps and tractor to improve the crop productivity. Malé arranges transport of the harvest up to one of its distillation units and pays farmers when it is processed.

Working with communities:

After seeing the developments in the Sagarnath area, other communities in the Terai became interested in the cultivation of MAPs. Lacking the technical knowledge, resources and market access to do this on their own, they are happy to work in collaboration with Malé .:Malé provides seeds, technical help, the use of its infrastructure and a buy-back guarantee. In the Manakamana Community Forest, Malé established a distillation unit , and also co-financed the boring of a  well in order to facilitate regular irrigation.

The former president of the Manakamana Community Forest Group, Mr Govind Paudel, says " After Malé International encouraged us to plant palmarosa on the wasteland and fallow land between the trees, the community has truly learnt to utilize its forest, and in partnership with Malé has secured a regular source of income for its members."

The latest expansion has taken place in West Nepal, where various farmer groups from the Nawalparasi district have planted MAPs on about 30 hectares under contractual arrangement with Malé and at the same conditions as the other groups. Male has established its own distillation unit to process the harvests on the spot

Employment generation:

Malé International is responsible for substantial local employment generation in and around the Sagarnath area of Sarlahi district and Kawaswoti area of Nawalparasi district .On the plots leased by Malé local people of surrounding Bhaktapur and Raiterkhor villages find regular work. Further more these workers benefit from a higher than customary wage rate paid by Malé.Distillation units owned and operated by Malé also employ and train about 10 workers throughout the year.

Permanent administrative and production staff	Distillation unit labour	Field based labor
15	10	20-80