Reforesting the island of Flores to ensure a common future
In the heart of Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, and on the edge of Komodo National Park, the island of Flores is home to just under 2 million inhabitants. Its indigenous communities depend on their environment to live, using agricultural practices that are increasingly predatory upon natural resources.
Micke Science explains
Our partner Cœur de Forêt has decided to restore the island’s precious ecosystems and support the indigenous populations to move towards a more sustainable agroecology. To achieve this, it is driving a threefold project consisting of reforestation, creating ethical industries and raising awareness of the powers of medicinal plants among the communities.
A forest going up in smoke
On the slopes of its dormant volcanoes, the island of Flores is home to one of the only tropical dry forests in the world. Covering barely 2% of the planet’s surface, these unique ecosystems are threatened in more ways than one. On Flores, like most other regions, agriculture poses the greatest threat. In order to clear more and more land and make way for crops, farmers deploy an often-poorly-controlled slash and burn approach, which can see hectares of forest go up in smoke in just a few hours.
To transform this fate into a sustainable future, Cœur de Forêt has chosen to tackle the causes of deforestation, by broadening the range of economic solutions for the communities and establishing new relationships with the environment.
Diagnosis of the biodiversity and land use practices on the island of Flores
To better understand the farmers’ relationship to their environment and their needs – in order to propose locally adapted solutions – it was essential to carry out an assessment of the island’s biodiversity and ancestral practices.
An initial forest diagnosis, conducted in 2022, revealed the presence of 350 plant species, some of which have never been observed on the island, including Morinda coreia, Lipoblepharis urticifolia and Marsdenia tinctoria, as well as others classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, like Pterocarpus indicus. More worryingly, the study also revealed the absence or accelerated disappearance of endemic species such as oud wood (Gyrinops versteegii) and the Indonesian cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum burmanni), both victims of overexploitation.
Later, an assessment of land use conducted in 2023 highlighted agropastoral tillage systems and practices.
Agroforestry and medicinal plants: for better living conditions
To stem the erosion of biodiversity, restore ecosystems and expand the livelihoods of Floresian communities, Cœur de Forêt has focussed on reforestation and developing agroforestry and income-generating crops.
Preserving forest ecosystems and biodiversity: 12,000 new trees planted
Klorane Botanical Foundation is joining forces with Cœur de Forêt to reforest plots of land and create new produce. The first step is to plant 12,000 trees within three years, in order to restore and protect wetlands. These agroecological plantations, covering at least 1 hectare and including at least 10 different species, will help to promote a balanced ecosystem through the combination of several varieties of crops.
Agroforestry is the mutually beneficial coexistence of tree plantations and farming on communal land.
The tree species chosen are selected in particular for their ability to protect water resources or resist fire, such as Piliostigma malabaricum, Cassia fistula, lstonia scholaris, Lannea coromandelica and Gliricida sepium. These trees promote the conservation of the biodiversity needed to protect and develop crops. They also play an important role in maintaining a healthy water cycle, help to stabilise the soil and improve its fertility.
Developing new income-generating industries by introducing medicinal plant growing
To diversify their sources of income, family farms are also being supported in their evolution towards agroecology through the introduction of medicinal plant crops such as vanilla, patchouli, or galangal. Devised jointly with producers and farmers, these new opportunities will enable the growth of ethical local industries, ensuring both the future of the communities and the preservation of biodiversity.
New income opportunities in sustainable Galangal growing
For the forest to be long-lasting, one of the keys is to be able to make a living from it. Because if a living can be made from it, then communities will be motivated to make it grow and prosper rather than to deforest and replace it with spaces dedicated to other activities. This is a key step in the programme: to explore the development of a new sector of activity, associated with the cultivation of Alpinia Galanga.
With the sustainable production and use of this resource – still untapped on the island – a whole new business opportunity emerges. And with it, new income streams, but also new prospects for the next generations who will find opportunities to stay on the island rather than have to leave it.
More on Alpinia galanga
Indonesia is known for its wide range of spices, such as peppers, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and so on. This huge family of plants – Zingiberaceae – includes a rich variety of species with aromatic rhizomes, including Galangal (Alpinia galanga). Rhizomes have both culinary uses, for flavouring meat or fish dishes, as well as medicinal, with invigorating, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
Raising awareness among village communities and schools for a more sustainable future
The future of the island also depends on today’s children. What could be better than passing on to them the desire to protect biodiversity from an early age? The programme on the island of Flores offers 120 students the opportunity to participate in workshops organised by the Puge Figo association, a local branch of Cœur de Forêt.
To cement this process, awareness-raising begins in childhood with the creation of 200 herbariums and educational materials. It then continues through adulthood thanks to feedback on forest and agrarian diagnostics carried out by the local branch, thus ensuring valuable transmission of knowledge.
In addition, Flores’ elders play a crucial role in the transmission of knowledge about medicinal plants. For example, the village of Maladhawi is home to a forest garden where various medicinal plants are grown. Among these is the Wakatere, a tree whose bark is used for postpartum care to stimulate and boost immunity. The Wild Pepper Tree (Piper retrofractum) is also used for postpartum preparations. Finally, Zingiber Cassumunar, a variety of ginger, is used to treat fever and childhood headaches. This traditional knowledge enriches the awareness-raising programme and reinforces the importance of biodiversity and local medicinal practices.
We have been working with the communities on the island of Flores for nearly 10 years to help them secure their livelihoods while strengthening ancestral ties with their environment. Listening, supporting and promoting practices are key pillars of our process and guarantee the impact of our approach over the long term.
Partner
Since 2015, Cœur de Forêt has been advocating for environmental and social justice by reshaping the precious balance between forests and humans. In France, Indonesia, Bolivia and Madagascar, it works hand in hand with local communities, launches sustainable management solutions for agricultural and forest ecosystems and kick-starts educational and collaborative processes to give back the power to humans to act and protect their environment.
