Climate-resilient approach helps Indonesian organic farmers

What challenges do the farmers face? 

"Periods of drought and excessive rainfall have resulted in disappointing and even lost harvests for Javanese farmers. After a dry period, coconut trees have fewer blossoms and produce less coconut sugar. In the rainy season, erosion occurs as rainwater washes away the terraces."

Aliet Green, Indonesia's leading producer of organic food products, is helping 2,000 farmers in the region. What steps are they taking?

"Aliet Green understood that the problems the farmers faced were having an impact on its main product: coconut sugar. The company explored which other crops farmers could grow besides coconut trees, such as vanilla and ginger. This made the farmers less dependent on one crop and allowed them to harvest throughout the year. Farmers can spread their economic risks, and the company can continue production. The Provincial Agriculture and Food Security Department of Yogyakarta assisted the farmers by providing subsidies for growing the new crops. The farmers also know how to implement climate-adaptive on-farm practices from now on."

How do you reach a large group of small-scale farmers? 

"The Sugar & Steam project provided training for a leading group, many of whom are leaders in their community. They will be the first to adopt regenerative strategies and teach other farmers how to combat erosion.

What is the strength of the Sugar & Steam partnership? 

"Bringing together 2 or more organisations leads to a diverse mix of specialists. This allowed us to deliver the project to the highest standard. Another major advantage was the presence of the local organisation. Aliet Green had already worked with the leaders before the project began. The company helped with experimental farms and training courses. This helped the project spread practical knowledge on sustainable land and water management among farmers."

What lessons did this project teach you?

"Getting things done takes time. But it also helps to have longer-term projects, as building relationships and discovering the best way of working together requires time and effort. At the same time, planning for the long term takes work, as you need to anticipate short-term developments. The vanilla plants, for example, were available for delivery earlier than expected. We depended on the availability of people associated with the project. Also, we had to reserve time for other activities, such as audits.

For various reasons, we had to make quite a few adjustments to the budget, which we did not foresee at the start. For example, there were issues with a consortium partner who we initially considered. We also needed to budget for audits, training courses and on-site assistance for the project leader. But it all worked out well in the end."

How are the farmers doing now? 

"The farmers have seen their incomes increase. This is a result of their agreements with Aliet Green, which holds organic and Fairtrade certifications. Thanks to these agreements, the farmers have a higher income and a greater certainty about their present and future livelihoods."

Watch the video below to see how the Sugar & Steam project improved the lives of these Indonesian farmers.

More information

Eurídice Leyequién Abarca is a researcher and advisor of global change for forested landscapes and agroecological systems, such as agroforestry and secondary forests. She works as an advisor in the Sugar & Steam project. The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs funds this project through the SDG Partnership Facility.