organic farming

overview

This project will improve the nutrition and incomes of highland communities in Papua, Indonesia by building a locally-sustainable, organic vegetable production industry.

Vegetable production has been introduced to Highland communities as a means of improving nutrition and cash income. However, the present production relies on seeds being brought in from the USA by individuals. Some of the local vegetable producers keep their own seed but most are reliant on the imported seeds.

Production is limited because there is no system to produce locally adapted seeds and production will dramatically reduce when there is no longer access to imported seeds.

This project will increase local farmer ownership of locally-adapted seed varieties protected by a local seed bank.

key outcomes

Provide access to seed varieties that are suited to the local environment and meet the nutritional requirements for the family.

Establish a local seed production network.

Establish a locally-run seed bank which will secure genetic purity of disease-free varieties.

Build the capacity of a local NGO/social enterprise to provide these core services.

Although its share of GDP is decreasing, agriculture is still of crucial importance for Indonesia’s economy, accounting for 14 percent of GDP.

93 percent of Indonesia’s total number of farmers are small family farms.

Out of a population of around 260 million, about 25.9 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line.

Approximately 1 in 3 children under the age of 5 suffer from stunting which reflects impaired brain development that will affect the children’s future opportunities.

Statistics: World Bank & FAO of the United Nations.

snapshot

how are we doing it?

To improve the production and sustainability of an organic vegetable production industry in Papua, we will:

Develop locally-adapted varieties of seeds, made available from local seed produces and protected by a local seed bank.
Provide resources and services required to support an organic vegetable production network.
Improve environmental and economic outcomes for communities.

Project Activities:

Build the capacity and facilities of the implementing NGO in finance, administration and technical skills.
Provide seed cleaning and storage facilities.
Identify key vegetables that can provide the nutritional requirements of families.
Evaluate the performance of crops and continue to improve production.

Sustainability

The process will be supported from income generated by:

Sale of seeds - there are a number of vegetables like carrots that do not produce seed in lowland tropical areas. Therefore the highlands of Papua have a unique opportunity to not only produce seed for the local community, but also for sale to the lowland areas of Indonesia.
Trading seeds - Not all producers will have the cash to pay for seed. They can pay with produce that can be sold.
Infrastructure - The local NGO we will partner with will provide infrastructure like post-harvest packaging.

your partnership

By partnering with us on this project, you will be investing in the future of farmers in Indonesia by empowering local communities in the Highlands to have ownership of their local produce with local seed varieties. This improves not only their own long-term sustainability of farming practices with organic vegetables, but provides an opportunity for them to become sellers of these valuable seeds.

Starter pack of seeds and new crop varieties: $50

Training program: $500

Sponsor a farmer today