Author: Vironica Arnila

Rasito, Optimizing His Field with Coffee Trees

Rasito were proud of the sengon trees he grows. They reach more than 10-meters in height now.

In 2019, Rasito (53) joined the tree planting program initiated by Trees4Trees and Tree Ltd. At that time, he proposed various types of tree seedlings such as sengon, indigofera, and coffee to be planted in his field. He cannot help but feel grateful for the free seedlings he received. His decision to register and join the tree planting program three years ago was actually because of his strong will to optimize the yield of the field he owned.

Fortunately, Rasito has a more fertile field compared to the fields in other villages. His field is located not far from his home in Kalirejo Village, Kebumen Regency.

“I can say my field is fertile and easy to plant with any kind of crops and timbers. I think it is because the location is near the spring and river. So, when the dry season comes, it does not ever experience a drought,” Rasito said.

Manage Pests is the Biggest Challenge

While strolling around his field, he seemed to trim the yellow leaves occasionally. According to Rasito, the biggest challenge to manage plants in his field is because of pests. “These yellow pests are very troublesome. They make leaves turn yellow, wilt, then die. Many sengon trees from Trees4Trees that I planted here were attacked by this kind of pest and could not survive. Auspiciously, there are still around 20 sengon trees that survive and grow well,” Rasito continued. He was pointing us to the sengon trees which now have reached 10 meters in height.

Rasito, Optimizing His Field with Coffee Trees — Rasito thanks Trees4Trees and Tree HK for providing him various kinds of tree seedling, including coffee.

Since returning to his village twenty years ago, Rasito has chosen to focus on agriculture. He used to work in the coffee plantation in Lampung, Sumatera. However, he decided to return to his village because his heart felt heavy to leave his 7-years old son at that time.

From the coffee plantation he used to work at previously, he has learnt a lot about agriculture and how to grow coffee. From his parents, he inherited traditional agriculture knowledge. He used them to manage his field area of more than 1.000 square meters until now.

Unsatisfied with The Result of His Field

Before joining the tree planting program, most of his field was planted with cassava and taro. There were also turmeric and Kaempferia galanga or aromatic ginger. He also planted stinky beans, papaya, and kelor trees. All the yields to be sold as his income to support his family’s daily needs. He also raised goats as his saving.

Regrettably, the price of cassava as his main yield is less competitive in the market. “One kilogram of cassava that has been cleaned costs around 1.700 rupiahs. If I don’t clean the skin, the price is only 1.500 rupiahs per kilogram. Taro’s price is much better. It is more stable, around 2.000 rupiahs per kilogram,” Rasito revealed. When the price drops or does not sell well in the market, then Rasito must give up the cassava he grew to be used as his cattle’s feed.

For that reason, when he heard that there was a tree planting program and free seedlings distribution, he was enthusiastic. “At that time, I heard that coffee seedlings would be distributed to farmers. I was interested. I always want to apply the knowledge I have learned from the coffee plantation where once I worked in my own field,” told Rasito.

Growing Coffee Trees, Increasing His Field’s Productivity

He was thrilled to know that of the 180 Robusta coffee seedlings he received in 2019, he managed to grow well 150 coffee trees. Over the last three years, he has already harvested twice. “In one harvesting time, there may be about 5 kilograms. But it has not been sold yet. I am still testing my coffee trees, grinding the beans, and consuming them by myself. I have compared the taste with the Robusta coffee sold in the market and even with coffee sold in a cafe. I am sure that this coffee can compete with them,” he said confidently.

Compared with cassava, Rasito believes coffee is more prospective. He also said it is not difficult to grow coffee trees. According to his survey, ground Robusta coffee’s price in the market can reach 30.000 rupiahs per kilogram. That interested him. Therefore, Rasito intends to replace cassava and taro with coffee in the future. “These cassavas are temporary. When I can grow more coffee trees, I will replace all of cassava and taro with coffee in order to make my field more productive as well as my income,” he was hoping.

In addition to coffee, Rasito also grows pepper which is planted as vines on other trees. He is quite satisfied with the result of pepper. He can sell them for 80,000 rupiahs per kilogram.

Rasito expects he we will be allowed to join the next tree planting program with Trees4Trees. He hopes he can receive durian and avocado seedlings. “I have tried planting durian and it is growing well in my field. If there will be another program, I intend to apply durian seedlings as well as avocado,” said Rasito.

Turning Over a New Leaf: Farmers Going Green in Java

“We only know how to use the normal farming materials – we can’t develop them by ourselves,” laments Idin Tauhidin, a farmer from Banjaran Wetan village in West Bandung. Like many farmers in the region, he gets his fertilizers and chemicals from a supplier.

Nuryanto lives in the neighboring village of Pinggirsari. He says most farmers here rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are easy to get hold of and practical to use. However, they have noticed these chemicals harm the soil, leaving dangerous residues in the plants and trees they cultivate.

Now, with the help of Trees4Trees and sponsors, Idin, Nuryanto and many more like them are learning to make their own materials, using organic ingredients and sustainable methods that can improve their crop without damaging the soil or the surrounding ecosystem.

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming

Held from November 4, 2022, through January 21, 2023, the training sessions were part of the Trees4Trees tree-planting program, designed to help farmers go green. “I consider this training as my opportunity to increase my knowledge and skills, especially in organic farming,” explains Nuryanto. “I hope I can use the knowledge to improve the agricultural process in my land, from planting to post-harvesting,” he added.

Most farmers in Nuryanto’s village are unfamiliar with organic farming. “They use instant chemical materials in farming, so they were surprised because the methods presented in the Trees4Trees training are quite different,” explains Agus, the Agricultural Extension Service officer for Pinggirsari village.

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming — (Above) Nuryanto, from Pinggirsari village, who learned how to make organic decomposer microbes during the training provided by Trees4Trees. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.

The organic farming method takes longer and is more complicated. For example, the fertilizer mixture must be ripened for a week, then stored for another 15 days. “This is something new for them (the farmers),” explains Agus, “but I think it will be useful for them.”

Agus believes the training is a golden opportunity to raise awareness among farmers about the many benefits of organic farming methods. “For example, chemical fertilizers often disrupt the soil structure, while organic fertilizers will restore the soil fertility and nutrients,” he added.

Cheaper, Greener, Better: Finding More Sustainable Solutions

One of the topics we covered at the training was how to make organic decomposer microbes. This process is an essential way to maintain soil nutrients. “Not many farmers could make [the microbes] on their own before,” observed Nuryanto, “but now we know it can be done using ingredients around us.”

The training showed farmers how to make decomposers, fertilizers and pesticides by themselves, utilizing organic waste such as leaves, rotten fruit, expired milk, and eggs. Solutions like this allow them to reduce their expenses, while also lowering their impact on the environment.

(Above) Idin Tauhidin learns grafting techniques from Rahmat, the Trees4Trees trainer; while villagers in Mangunweni village, Kebumen also develop their knowledge (below) . Photo: Doc. Trees4Trees.

Working in Harmony with Nature, Going to the Next Level

During our recent planting season, Trees4Trees held training sessions in a total of 193 villages around West and Central Java. Idin Tauhidin is one of around 4,000 farmers who benefited. He believes it offers a way to reduce farmer’s dependence on suppliers and reduce the cost of buying seedlings and farming materials. When we spoke to him during the grafting technique training, he shared his thoughts:

“If farmers always expect seedlings from outside agencies or institutions, or always buy ready-made agricultural materials, it means they will remain dependent,” he said.

“By mastering the techniques, farmers can be more self-sufficient; from my experience, if farmers don’t update and accelerate their knowledge and skills, never attend training sessions, and rely only on self-taught knowledge, they will never go to the next level,” he added.

Idin, Nuryanto, and the many farmers in their communities hope to apply the knowledge they have gained from the Trees4Trees training to their own land. They aspire to become more independent, building their well-being without harming their environment where they live. Together with Trees4Trees, they are beginning to bring this dream to fruition.

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Interview: Kemas Duga Muis. Editor: Christopher Alexander

farmer training pelatihan pelatihan petani planting season 2022

Planted 1000 Trees to Restore the Soil Fertility in Tanjungwangi Village

In the series of 2022 planting season, Trees4Trees collaborated with Barekurve planted 1,000 trees in a tree-planting event. The event aimed to restore soil fertility in Tanjungwangi Village, which is in Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency.

The tree-planting event is also part of the environmental improvement effort around the Citarik river watershed, which was one of Trees4Trees’ new planting areas. Five types of tree seedlings were planted during the tree-planting event, which was conducted in a land of 10,000-meter squares in Tanjungwangi Village.

“We planted eucalyptus, manglid, mahogany, avocado, and coffee. This event also involved seven farmers and three local workers,” said Ahdan Ramdani, the Trees4Trees Citarik site coordinator.

Planting trees for conservation purpose

The land where trees were planted has been unproductive for the past five years. Long ago, the lands were planted with various kinds of crops but later abandoned and have not been planted with any plants. As the result, the lands become barren and poor in nutrients.

Like any other village in Cicalengka District, most residents in Tanjungwangi work as factory workers. Most of them were farmers before. However, since the factories began to be established around the village, there has been a change in the people’ livelihood. Most farmers switched their job to become factory workers.

“The condition of the lands is very poor. Therefore, the main purpose of this planting event is for conservation, that is to restore the soil fertility,” Ahdan revealed.

CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees — planted 1000 trees

Ahdan also said that besides restoring soil fertility, the trees planted in the tree-planting event were also expected to maintain the water sources and prevent erosion as well as floods which often happen in this area.

The tree planting event was supported by CSR program of Barekurve

On the tree-planting event, which was held last December 2022, more than 600 seedlings were planted with the help of Barekurve staff as tree planter volunteers. While the rest of the seedlings were planted by local farmers.

Barekurve representative, Sheila, revealed all of the staff are excited to be involved in the tree-planting event. Barekurve as an apparel company was also proud to be part of the environmental improvement around Citarik watershed through a tree-planting event.

“We are aware that in this modern day, the number of tree covers in Indonesia is declining day by day. Especially in Java Island as the center of the economics of this country. We think that planting trees can be a solution, so we initiated this tree-planting event as part of our CSR program with the help of Trees4Trees. Through the event, we want to contribute to environmental improvement, starting from this village. We’re hoping with this tree-planting event, we can help a little to make a green impact on the environment,” Sheila said.

csr tree planting tree planting event

6250 Trees Planted in a Collaboration with NEC Indonesia

As a concern for environmental improvement and helping the local economy, Trees4Trees collaborates with NEC Indonesia to plant 6,250 trees planted on the lands of Sukaresmi Village and Sukaharja Village, West Java. The trees are planted in a total area of 10.5 hectares and involve 25 local farmers where trees are planted in their lands. A wide variety of trees ranging from fruit trees like avocado, mango, and durian, to woods like mahogany, teak, and albizia were planted in the tree-planting program.

Pandu Budi Wahono, the Trees4Trees Program Manager said that conservation function is the main purpose of the program, but it is also expected that the tree planting will be beneficial for the local community.

“Conservation function is the main purpose of the program so that trees planted will produce oxygen and maintain the water sources. But we are hoping that it will also be useful for the socio-economic community because we involve around 25 local farmers in total in the program,” said Pandu. He also said that mahogany trees will be planted along the village roads to make an improvement on the environment of the village public facility.

According to Pandu, there is quite a lot of unproductive land in both Sukaresmi and Sukaharja villages, so it is expected that this program can be continued in the following year.

Trees Planted Part of the NEC Corporate Social Responsibility Program

The tree-planting program is a part of NEC Indonesia Corporate Social Responsibility Program that focuses on environmental sustainability to preserve nature. Joji Yamamoto, the NEC Indonesia President Director said that it is in line with NEC 2030 vision in the environmental aspect: Living harmoniously with the earth to secure the future.

“The environment is one of the focuses of NEC 2030Vision to ensure a sustainable earth, so that we can live in harmony with nature to protect the future of this planet,” he said.

Yamamoto on behalf of NEC, also thank the village head and all the residents of Sukaresmi and Sukaharja village to accept trees donation. “NEC Indonesia is proud to be able to take part in environmental preservation today. We thank all residents who have agreed to accept donations of thousands of trees from us to be planted on your land,” he added.

CSR with NEC Indonesia — Photo: Trees4Trees/Yulianisa Dessenita

Started the Program with Tree-planting Event

Marking the start of the tree-planting program, a tree-planting event was conducted last December 10, 2023. 250 trees were successfully planted in the public facilities of Sukaresmi village during the event. While the rest of the 6,000 trees were planted on 20 farmers’ lands in Sukaresmi and Sukaharja village last December 2022.

26 staff of NEC participated in the event as tree planter volunteers, including the President Director, Joji Yamamoto. One of NEC staff who volunteers as a tree planter, Fathan, said that as part of NEC family, he is proud to be involved in the event. “We are grateful, especially because we can contribute to environmental improvement, not only for the benefit that we get today but also for the future,” he said.

6250 trees planted — Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.

With the implementation of the tree-planting program in his village, the head of Sukaresmi village, Yana Sunarya thanked NEC and Trees4Trees for the program in the context of the conservation in his village. “We thank the tree-planting program. Hopefully, the trees planted can supplement the oxygen as well as the water source for prolonged life. By planting trees in our village, we also hope the trees will bring a great benefit for the villagers,” said Yana.

NEC indonesia Planting Tree reforestation tree planting event trees4trees

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green

(Above) Trees4Trees shows farmers in West Bandung how to make organic fertilizers. Photo: Trees4Trees

Trees4Tress is working to green the world and grow a better future. In these reforestation efforts, farmers have a crucial role to play. Through a series of training activities, we have been working to build farmers’ capacity, empowering them to plant seeds of positive development in their communities.

From November 4 to the end of January 2022, season, Trees4trees has held farmer training in 193 planting locations throughout West and Central Java. These sessions were attended by a total of more than 4,000 participants. We also employed local people as field facilitators, so they could take the lead in tree planting activities in their home village.

Trees4Trees Training in Numbers:

193 villages
40 sub-districts
More than 4,000 participants

664 field facilitators
91 field coordinators
85 government instructors

Raising Awareness, Developing Skills

Our aim is to encourage the use of more organic, environmentally friendly methods. Training sessions focused on how to make organic fertilizers, and pesticides, while also showing farmers some handy propagation techniques for seedlings.

“It’s a win-win situation.” – Tedi, Trees4Trees Training Officer

Tedi Purnama is one of Trees4Trees’ training officers. He has noticed most farmers still use chemicals in agriculture. “We want to encourage them to switch to organic techniques,” he explains. “This is not only better for the trees’ growth, but also better for the environment – it’s a win-win situation.”

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green — (Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

For many farmers who attended the training, organic farming was something interesting but unfamiliar. Nuryanto, from Pinggirsari village in West Java, was one of many who was happy to find out more information.

“This training is interesting because the ingredients to make organic fertilizers or pesticides are easy to find and cheap,” said Nuryanto. “We know that chemical fertilizers and pesticides harm the soil – now we finally have a way to reduce our dependency on these materials,” he added.

Showing the Way: Field Coordinators and Facilitators

Leading these sessions were Trees4Trees’ team of field coordinators and field facilitators; local recruits, trained in organic farming techniques by one of our more experienced training officers.

“Field facilitators are closest to the farmers and local communities,” explains Tedi, who has been helping this team deliver the training in their communities. “They are also the first people farmers can go to and ask about how to implement organic farming properly. So it’s important for them to know everything,” he added.

(Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/V. Arnila Wulandani

Rizki Imanuddin is a field coordinator from Pinggirsari village in the Cirasea district of West Bandung. He found the training to be a really positive experience. “Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too,” he revealed. In his village, fruit production optimization was the most popular topic, as many local people were looking for ways to sustainably increase their fruit yields.

In Cisangkuy District, farmers were eager to join the training session about propagation of seedlings and grafting techniques. As the field coordinator, Rahmat noted that “during the training, farmers practiced the techniques seriously – they are eager to begin applying this knowledge in their own fields.”

“Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too.”– Rizki Imanuddin, a field coordinator from Pinggirsari Village

Collaboration is Key to Success Growing Together

In addition to the generous support received from AstraZeneca and One Tree Planted in the planting area around the Citarum watershed, Trees4Trees is also working together with government instructors from Indonesia’s Agricultural Extension Agency (Badan Penyuluh Pertanian/BPP).

So far, as part of our current planting season, more than 85 instructors from the government agency have gotten involved in farmer training in 32 sub-districts where our planting areas are located.

Roni Nur Rohman is one of the instructors who attended the recent training. He believes BPP and Trees4Trees share the same mission: to support reforestation efforts and empower farmers to develop more sustainable livelihoods.

“We hope this training can improve farmers’ knowledge about tree planting and organic farming,” says Roni. “With collaboration, and from cultivation to harvesting, the planting process will bring great benefits to farmers and the environment.”

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Interview: Kemas Duga Muis. Editor: Christopher Alexander

farmer training organic farming planting season 2022 reforestation

Mangroves Types in Indonesia and Their Benefits

Rhizophora in the coast of Dukuhseti village, Pati regency

Mangroves in Indonesia and Their Benefits — *Rhizophora in the coast of Dukuhseti village, Pati regency. Photo: Trees4Trees*

Mangroves have enormous benefits for the environment and the economy. From preventing coastal erosion, storing a large amount of carbon and fighting climate change, providing a home and nursery ground for a wide range of animals, to providing multi-benefit for human life.

Indonesia is home to one of the largest mangrove populations in the world with around 3.2 million hectares of mangrove covers. In this archipelago country, there are five mangrove types (genera) and around 202 species that are commonly found in coastal areas. Each type of mangrove has its own characteristic, and the most important thing is, they have amazing benefits.

Let’s find out what types of mangroves can be found around Indonesia’s coastal areas and what are their benefits!

Rhizophora Mangrove

In Indonesia, Rhizophora is also known as bakau and it has three species; Rhizopora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, and Rhizophora stylosa. Rhizophora has taproots that plunge into the forest floor. This type of root is growing above the surface of the soil. These roots stick out from the tree trunks and extended outwards.

Rhizopora mucronata’s leaf, bark, and propagule waste can produce a natural brown dye to color fabrics and is one of the natural dyes for batik (Indonesian traditional fabrics). The young leaf is also beneficial as a mouth antiseptic. Ecologically, Rhizophora is effective to protect coastal areas from erosion. It is commonly planted along the shore and the edge of the fishponds to protect it from big waves.

Avicennia Mangroves

Avicennia is popular in Indonesia with its local name, api-api. Avicennia has pencil-shaped roots. They are embedded in the forest floor, protruding from the surface of the water, and scattered in very large numbers around the tree trunk. These roots serve as breath roots.

It has five species; Avicennia alba, Avicennia eucalyptifolia, Avicennia lanata, Avicennia marina, and Avicennia officinalis. Even though, Avicennia marina is the most species found in Indonesia.

Almost all parts of Avicennia are beneficial, from its roots, barks, tree trunks, stems, leaves, and flowers to its seeds. The fruits contain a high level of protein and various vitamins, like B and C, and can be processed into various foods which can increase the coastal community’s income by selling them. The leaves are used as fodder as well as a traditional medicine to treat skin burns and other skin diseases due to their anti-bacterial content. The strong tree trunks are often utilized as boat frames.

Besides its ability to prevent coastal erosion and store carbon, based on research, Avicennia has a special ability to reduce metal toxic materials in mangrove forests through a dilution process.

Bruguiera Mangrove

Bruguiera has the most species compared to other mangrove types. It has six mangrove species; Bruguiera cylindryca, Bruguiera exaristata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Bruguiera haenessii, Bruguiera parviflora, and Bruguiera sexangula. Generally, it has pointed-shaped leaves with strong stems and thick roots which look like bent knees as its characteristic.

Like other mangrove, Bruguiera has numerous benefits. Besides preventing coastal erosion and storing carbon, most parts of Bruguiera trees are beneficial. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza young leaves can be processed into food. The barks are often used as a traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, fever, and skin burns, and are believed to prevent malaria. Bruguiera sexangular has a high economic value. Its fruit can be processed into herbal drinks too.

Ceriops Mangrove

Ceriops mangrove is also known as tengar tree in Indonesia. It has pencil-shaped roots, elongated fruits, and bubbling stems as its characteristics. The appearance of Ceriops is like Rhizophora but smaller. It is usually found in dry parts of Rhizophora mangrove forests. The tree bark produces tannin which is beneficial as a natural dye to produce a yellow color. Ceriops has two species that exist in Indonesia; Ceriops decandra and Ceriops tagal.

Sonneratia Mangroves

Sonneratia has a pencil-shaped root system, and its appearance looks like Avicennia, but they have a different shape of flower, fruit, and leaf. There are three species of Sonneratia in Indonesia; Sonneratia alba, Sonneratia caseolaris, and Sonneratia ovata. Sonneratia caseolaris’s fruit contains a high level of Vitamin C. It also contains Vitamin B1, B2, and antioxydant. Sonneratia tree trunks are often used as a raw material for firewood and charcoal.

Mangroves accommodate incredible benefits and impacts for nature and human beings. Unfortunately, mangroves have experienced loss and degradation worldwide. As part of the contribution to restore mangrove covers, Trees4Trees started planting 36.000 mangroves in 2021 on the coast of Dukuhseti Village in Pati regency, Central Java. It aimed to prevent coastal erosion and protect fishponds owned by local farmers.

This planting season, Trees4Trees expands the mangrove planting to five villages in Pati regency and in Cilacap regency, Central Java. The main aim of planting mangroves is to prevent coastal erosion and restore the original mangrove forests. By broadening the mangrove planting area, it is expected to contribute to the mangrove ecosystem restoration in Indonesia.

mangrove mangrove benefits

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