Stories

WEST KALIMANTAN, Indonesia - People for Peat sits down with Masri, the Co-Founder of Pesona Kalbar Hijau at the PeSoNa Expo 2022 where they are sharing their business practices and products - all sustainably and equitably produced on peatlands in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan to find out more about their company, vision and what running a sustainable business on peatlands means to them. 

---

Spokesperson: Masri, Co-Founder Pesona Kalbar Hijau

People for Peat: Tell us about yourself and about Pesona Kalbar Hijau. 

Masri: My name is Masri, currently working at Pesona Kalbar Hijau (PKH). PKH is a business entity in the form of a CV (commanditaire vennootschap). We are engaged in socio-entrepreneurship, where our focus is on creating entrepreneurs who care about the environment. PKH has been around since 2020 and our main commodity is honey. There is honey produced from kelulut (stingless bee) as well as honey that is harvested from the mangrove forest. Other commodities include bajakah roots, ginger powder, peat coffee, and mangrove leaf tea.

People for Peat: To what extent is PKH related to ASEAN Peatland?

Masri: We participated in the [People for Peat] mentoring session, where we were one of the six selected participants who attended the mentoring training. We are trained so that in the future we are able to implement investment schemes in the [non]-timber forest products sector. We joined the program to train readiness both at the farmer level and PKH itself, for future investments. This is learning from past experiences where many of the grants that were issued were not utilized optimally due to a lack of responsibility. The recipients of grants had low ownership and did not have the awareness or drive to start a serious business.

People for Peat: What are your expectations for today's event?

Masri: The first is to introduce PKH to a wider target community. Next is to sell the products with the added value that we can provide. 

People for Peat: What is the added value?

PKH has a protection fund collected from our sales. 20% of our total net sales per year are returned to farmers as a form of protection for the area. The activities we usually do are to strengthen institutions and to fund patrols in the event of forest and land fires. So far, PKH has been purely based on sales. However, we only act as an EO at big events, such as business farming activities at the end of 2021, which specifically aimed to introduce products in Kubu Raya.

“20% of our total net sales per year are returned to farmers as a form of protection for the area. The activities we usually do are to strengthen institutions and to fund patrols in the event of forest and land fires.”

People for Peat: Is there anything exciting/interesting about today's event?

Masri: An interesting story that we can tell is that many of the visitors to our booth, after listening to our scheme, thought “Oh, so it's possible to do it that way.” So even though it's not grand, it's a form of our responsibility to the community and the environment. With small steps through PKH, by buying this product, we can indirectly help farmers, particularly in Kubu Raya.

People for Peat: So, there are many people that are interested in the PKH scheme, right?

Masri: Yes, both public visitors and environmental activists. Another example is campaigns to support activities such as caring for peat, so what the community produces from the peat, that's what we return.

People for Peat: What is the motivation for PKH to join People for Peat (PFP)?

Masri: We are joining to improve our skills, so that business management can run well. We also realize that our ability in the management and profiling of a product is still lacking. By learning from PFP, we have experienced many changes. For example, from the training and activities we’ve participated in, we’ve learned how to introduce an institution to attract investors.

“from the training and activities we’ve participated in, we’ve learned how to introduce an institution to attract investors.”

People for Peat: What is the future vision of PKH as a business operating on peatlands?

Masri: Our vision is to make all peat products have a positive impact on the environment. This means we do not only use the peat forest as a source of production, but we do it in a way to ensure we can maintain the sustainability of peat itself.

People for Peat: What is your hope for peatlands in Indonesia, ASEAN, and the world?

Masri: Hopefully this production-protection practice can improve the condition of peatlands in Indonesia and in the world.

People for Peat: What are the products you brought today?

Masri: Products made from peat consist of kelulut honey, ginger powder, pineapple syrup, and temulawak powder. Products from mangroves include mangrove honey and mangrove leaf tea. Our assisted area is in the form of an island. In the middle of the island, there is a peat dome and there is a mangrove forest on the outskirts of the coast. The island is called Padang Tikar. There, the peat is very deep. According to our previous research, the depth can reach more than 7 meters. It must be maintained especially during the dry season because there was a great fire in 2015 which had a dangerous impact on people's plantations, health, and many more.

People for Peat: Is there anything else you want to say?

My hope is that today's event is not only to introduce products but how our products can have a better impact on forest and land management in Indonesia.

---

Pesona Kalbar Hijau (PKH) is a social enterprise focused on creating entrepreneurs who care as much about business as they do the environment. Their main product is honey, stingless bee honey (kelulut) and mangrove forest honey. PKH is currently a People for Peat Business Hub Accelerator Programme Cohort Member, undergoing a 9 month programme to enhance their business in the areas of economic productivity, environmental protection, and social inclusivity.

You can support this inspiring Business Hub Cohort member by sharing this article and purchasing their products through Facebook and Instagram.