Have you ever heard of agroforestry? The idea is simple but impactful, and today we'd love to tell you more about it.
So please, come along to the forests of Bukit Tigapuluh, and see how agroforestry, and your support, is changing lives and saving forests.
Agroforestry demonstration plot in Sanglap Village.
What is Agroforestry?
Simply put, agroforestry means farming with trees, not instead of them. Rather than clearing land to plant a single crop like palm oil, families grow a mix of crops, like cocoa, vanilla, pepper, and coffee, all woven together with the natural forest around them.
And the result is something incredible. Crops that feed and support families, soil that stays healthy, wildlife that thrive in their natural home, and forests that stay standing.
It's farming that works with nature, not against it. And your support is making it happen!
Agroforestry in Action
Thanks to your amazing support, we are working with communities living alongside the Bukit Tigapuluh forests of Sumatra, one of the most precious and threatened ecosystems on Earth. Together, we've helped establish an agroforestry demonstration plot in Sanglap Village.
Here, local families are growing cocoa, vanilla, pepper, and robusta coffee. They are learning new skills, trying new ways of farming, and earning a living without having to clear the forest around them. The plot is a living classroom, and the lessons it teaches could protect these forests for generations.
This matters deeply, because the communities of Bukit Tigapuluh have called these forests home for thousands of years. The forest is woven into their culture, their traditions, their medicine, and their entire way of life.
Bukit Tigapuluh is also home to some of the world's most Critically Endangered animals. Sumatran orangutans, elephants, and tigers all depend on these forests to survive. When we protect the forests, we protect them too.
Coffee plant (top) and cocoa plant (bottom) grown in the agroforestry demonstration plot.
Growing Results
Your support helps keep these demonstration plots thriving. Our team regularly visits Sanglap Village to help the community maintain the plots. Everything from weeding and grass cutting, to keeping the soil in good health.
And the hard work is already paying off. Banana plants, grown as shade crops for cocoa, have recently produced two successful harvests. In total, 130 banana bunches have been sold, earning IDR 650,000 for local families. That’s real income, flowing directly into the community, all because of you!
Successful banana harvest, ready to sell to surrounding communities.
An Exciting New Chapter: Vanilla
Here's where things get even more exciting. Thanks to your generosity, the community has been able to trial growing vanilla plants over six months…and the results were amazing!
The plants held strong through extreme heat, low rainfall, and tough soil conditions. Because of this success, vanilla is now a permanent part of the plot. 220 vanilla cuttings have already been planted in six rows, growing alongside existing cocoa and banana crops.
This is a big deal. Vanilla brings more variety to what families grow, makes the plot stronger against climate change, and opens up a brand new product to sell. It's another income stream, and another reason to protect the forest instead of clearing it.
Vanilla plant in the demonstration plot.
Because of your kindness, families are learning the skills and knowledge to grow their own food, sell their crops, and even trade with their neighbours so that no one goes without. They have a path forward. One that doesn't require destroying the forests they've depended on for generations.
And the forest, along with all the remarkable wildlife within it, can stay alive and thriving.
You made this possible. Thank you!
Program name: Forest Community Mobile Education Unit
Location: Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem, Sumatra, Indonesia
Program Partners: This program is a collaboration with our Frankfurt Zoological Society partners, and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry 🌳