Addressing Peatland Degradation: Teluk Village Community Creates Sustainable Agriculture Model

The Teluk Village Community Group in Kuala Kampar, Pelalawan, Riau, is struggling to defend their territory from the impacts of the palm oil extractive industry. The Teluk Village community continues to fight for their land rights that overlap with the former HGU (Cultivation Rights) area through the Mendol Island Rescue Community (FMPPM). Through the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, the Teluk Village community, the majority of whom work as coconut farmers and fishermen, are trying to develop a natural farming system to strengthen their economy while rehabilitating peatlands that have been degraded after land fires.

From March to June 2024, the peatland rehabilitation and restoration program using natural farming methods based on intercropping is focused on utilizing 4 hectares of land. With 2 hectares planted with intercropping—coconut, banana, and corn—while the other 2 hectares are specifically for coconut. The activity begins with a village meeting to agree on the objectives and approaches to be used. The program's main objective is to introduce a method of peatland management without burning, which is more environmentally friendly and also efficient enough to improve soil fertility without the risk of fire.

The program also includes training on making local microorganisms (MOL) involving 40 participants, both male and female, with natural farming experts as resource persons. The training teaches how to make organic fertilizer that can increase soil fertility and provide nutrients for plants by utilizing materials available in the area, such as coconut water and plant waste. The MOL produced in the training is used in spraying the land twice a week to improve the structure and fertility of the soil before the planting process begins. 

When the land is ready, the community applies the intercropping method, planting coconuts, bananas, and corn alternately on the same land. This technique not only optimizes land productivity, but also diversifies agricultural products, reducing the risk of crop failure due to dependence on one commodity. On special coconut land, planting is carried out in turns by group members, so that the planting process continues despite weather challenges.

To ensure the sustainability of the garden, the community also built a collective agricultural demonstration plot along with a seed house as a center for seed preparation and distribution. With a collective agricultural demonstration plot, the community has a shared learning space, and this is also where natural farming techniques without burning will continue to be introduced and implemented. A supervisor's hut was also built at the same location to store agricultural equipment and monitor the land for pest threats.

This program provides many benefits for the Teluk Village Community Group, especially in efforts to restore land after land fires and increase their agricultural productivity. In addition to the benefits for the 52 heads of families directly involved, the surrounding village community also benefits, in terms of reducing the risk of land fires which are very prone to occur in peat areas. By reducing dependence on land burning and chemical fertilizers, this practice also contributes to maintaining the health of the peat ecosystem.