Toraja Church Forestry in Sulawesi

	The Tana Toraja region is a highland plateau covering 300,000 square kilometres in south Sulawesi

Location

The Tana Toraja region is a highland plateau covering 300,000 square kilometres in south Sulawesi. Here the Protestant community, who belong to the indigenous Toraja Church (with 400,000 members) in partnership with WALDA (Wahana Lestari Persada), a local NGO, are workingto protect their environment and conserve their forest resources.

Training

Training is organised by church leaders, who are trusted by local people. Farmers are trained in small-scale agricultural techniques, animal husbandry, cultivation of seedlings and the planting of saplings. Government trainers are working alongside the Church, and soldiers and police have all volunteered to help with the preparation and planting of 8200 trees of mixed species.

Organic techniques

Local farmers and villagers have been trained in the production of bokashi, an organic fertiliser from local animal and vegetable matter to replace chemical fertilisers and pesticides. They are also trained in mixed planting of trees and crops, replacing the mono-cultivation of rice. These include species suitable for food, shade, and wildlife.

Trees for building

	Volunteers gather round for a blessing ceremony at the planting of a tree

Replanting has included tree species traditionally used for construction. This decreases the use of stones from rivers and their banks, which increases the risk of flooding of villages and agricultural lands.

>How the Toraja project works