Protecting Rainforests for Wild Orangutans

In the least 3 months, much of our work has been focusing on teaching agroforestry techniqes to locals as a way of aiming to prevent forest encroachment. 

Agroforestry or agro-sylviculture is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. It combines shrubs and trees in agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, ecologically sound, and sustainable land-use systems.

From a conservation perspective, we need to ensure that the people living in and around the Leuser ecosystem have a viable way of making a living which does not involve deforestation. Our CARE programme (community, agroforestry, education and restoration) works with local smallholders to teach them improved techniques for maximising crop production using home-made organic compost. Farmers who have been on a CARE programme report a 25% improvement in crop production, meaning they are much less likely to cur down forest trees to expand their crop lands. We have been able to show them how agroforestry techniques benefit biodiversity, water cycling and food security. The more diverse the selection of crops are that one farmer grows, the less dependent he is on one particular product or market. This is part of our holistic approach to tackling forest encroachment. 

In one particular project in Gayo Lues, we and our partners on the ground, have been working to develop community income through essential oil production. This has included using a hydro-micro distillery to purify the oil, which LUSH Cosmetics have pledged to buy at market rate as part of their ethical programme.

These are just some of the ways in which SOS is working to prevent deforestation from happening. A viable income for locals is what is needed to prevent further destruction of orangutan habitat in the region. Thank you for your ongoing support for this vital work

Links:

• more info on the CARE programme