We started our journey into agriculture about 10 years ago by being first- generation oil palm planters on land that had been in the family for many years. After several years of working the land, we began to notice that the typical business model of commercial agriculture was degrading our rich soils rapidly and stripping them of the rich biodiversity that was so evident when we first started working the land. Thus began a second journey to attempt to reverse the effects that the chemical fertilisers were having on our soil. It hasn’t been easy and the journey is far from over but at least we now have a better insight into how organic farming can restore our depleted soils and give us produce that is healthier and tastier than anything we could possibly develop chemically. It also has allowed us to develop a road map for how oil palm plantations can be economically diverse, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.
None of this would have been possible without the close friendship and mentorship of a group of farmers who have been leading the charge in organic vegetable