Pontianak - On the momentum of the orangutan rescue campaign, WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan (Kalbar) Program in collaboration with PT Panda Lestari maximized the use of WWF's office space in Pontianak by opening a Panda Shop on Thursday 27 August 2015 at the WWF Program West Kalimantan Office in Pontianak.
This Panda Shop will distribute products produced by assisted communities in West Kalimantan. For example, organic rice such as brown and black rice, honey, and handicrafts based on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), as well as products merchandise bearing the WWF logo.

Albertus Tjiu said that the conservation program run by WWF-Indonesia does not merely appeal to the public to protect nature, but nature can also provide benefits to the people who live in and around the forest.

"We hope that people in rural areas will also benefit from natural products in the form of non-timber forest products such as honey, brown rice, black rice, and handicrafts which are also green products. The presence of this Panda Shop hopefully can be a means for marketing green & fair products produced by WWF-assisted communities in West Kalimantan," said Albert.

Rina Aryanti, Manager of PT Panda Lestari who manages the Panda Shop, expressed her hope that people in Pontianak will find it easier to get WWF merchandise products. "Not only that, part of the proceeds from the sale of this merchandise will be donated back to WWF-Indonesia," said Rina.

Meanwhile Prof. Syamsuni Arman, one of the customers of Panda Shop's green and fair products, said that with affordable prices, the black rice and brown rice he consumes are more delicious, no need to eat a lot but the satisfaction is long. "Black rice and brown rice are limited products, because few people grow these products. Besides that, I definitely feel healthier by consuming brown rice," she added.