Conserving Intact Rainforest for Orangutans

One of our partner organisations, Nature for Change, helps create income streams for farmers by enabling them to plant fruit trees with high-value crops so that they don't need to take timber from the forest to earn money. In addition to this, they are also encouraging goat and duck farming. Darma, Nature for Change's founder, has donated the land behind his house so that members of the local community can keep their goats and ducks there and eventually benefit from the income they get from selling milk and eggs.

But what does this have to do with conserving intact forests?

When farmers have just one or two food crops or agricultural products, their income is at higher risk. Producing a wider range of crops or products – known as agricultural diversification – provides farmers with a more stable income and better living standards, and enables sustainable use of natural resources.

In the context of conserving intact forest for orangutans and other species, providing farmers around the Leuser buffer zone with a diverse range of income streams means they are less likely to need to fall back on logging or on expanding their fields into the forest.

Thank you for continuing to support this vital work.