Resilience through agroforestry in Kalimantan

Dear friends,

Thank you for supporting this project. Here is what your generosity has made possible, and how the community is facing a difficult season.

Training farmers in agroforestry
By August 2026, with help from the women community leaders, the promotion around the program reached 168 villagers, and 63 of the 200 farmers we plan to train have completed their training. Many are already applying what they learned on their own land. Two wood vinegar production facilities are running, and a third is under construction.

Protecting the forest
The research station located in the community forest is complete and in use, and training has strengthened our team’s technical skills. Surveys on foot have covered just under a fifth of the 200-hectare forest and show a largely intact ecosystem. The entire area has also been photographed by drone. The local Dayak community is sharing its knowledge in the mapping and planning, and is playing a key role in shaping how this forest will be managed.

Building a community-run enterprise
The food processing facility has been renovated, and courses in business management, finance, processing, and marketing are helping our team members and the local people prepare to run it as a community-based enterprise.

While we are proud of this progress, we also want to share the challenges the community is facing right now.

A difficult season in Bukit Batu

More than 300 fire hotspots have been recorded in Bukit Batu since August, and some came dangerously close to YUM’s centers at kilometers 36 and 37. Thankfully, the fires were put out and no damage was done. Smoke still hangs in the air around the clock, and visibility on roads is severely limited. On Wednesday, October 14th, PM2.5 levels soared as high as 3,340 μg/m³ and a thick orange haze blanketed the region. In Palangka Raya alone, local health reports show more than 10,400 cases of respiratory illness, and children, elderly residents, pregnant women, and volunteer firefighters face the greatest risks.

Our team and local partners are responding together. To find out more about what we have been doing on the ground, please read our blog post: https://www.yumindonesia.org/blog-detail/side-by-side-how-our-community-is-facing-the-kalimantan-fires

We continue to support the community as best as we can, and are adjusting our timeline of activities until after the smoke has ended, which is likely to be once the rainy season starts in Indonesia.

Warmest wishes,
The YUM Team