06.05.2025
Crops for the future
Pepper grows better and produces a higher yield if it is grown sustainably using climate-friendly methods. Farmers in Indonesia are learning how to do just that.
Moving from monoculture to sustainable and climate-resilient mixed cropping – this is how 2,300 pepper farmers in Indonesia are now growing crops. They are receiving training from 11 local multipliers, who are also putting them in touch with businesses.
Weeds in the fields are no longer bad news for Arofiq, a pepper farmer in Indonesia: ‘I used to worry if I saw other plants on the land. Now I’m relaxed about it.’ This is down to knowledge he gleaned at a workshop where agroforestry methods are being taught on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). If a mixture of plants grow on wooded land, this protects the soil against erosion, and diseases only spread in isolated areas.
© GIZThe Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH designed the programme in Indonesia’s Bangka Belitung region together with the Dutch NGO Fairfood and is assisting implementation with technical and administrative support. Arofiq now uses solutions for the struggling pepper cultivation industry on his own land. Under the initiative, the Indonesian companies Klumbayan Gold Farm and PT Can are bringing fair and sustainably grown pepper to the European market through the Dutch spices wholesaler Verstegen.
Pepper cultivation was once a profitable business in Indonesia. Sinking prices and harsher climate conditions are now making it a challenge. As a result, many farmers are switching to monocultures and growing crops such as oil palms. These crops can only be grown using huge amounts of fertiliser and pesticides and are still vulnerable to pests. Agroforestry helps farmers to mitigate the impacts of unstable and extreme climate conditions. It also means that pepper can be grown sustainably and profitably. This is good news for farmers like Arofiq: ‘I hope we can continue to share our knowledge so that we can grow high-quality pepper in the future, too.’
Youtube: aGROWforests - Nurturing a sustainable future for pepper farmers
