resource-efficient agriculture
We must protect our soils.
It all began with the aim of building the largest recycling village in the world. The holistic project is now much more than just this “village”. Environmental education, ranger patrols, sustainable agriculture and waste management systems come together here.
What is resource-efficient agriculture?
"Agriculture only has a future if it is compatible with nature and takes biodiversity, climate protection and people's health into account."
– Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, February 2017
We need productive, environmentally friendly and socially responsible agriculture for our future.
Resource-efficient agriculture must produce enough food without destroying the land that is available to us for this purpose. In the interests of sustainability, humanity must not live at the expense of future generations. We must therefore manage our resources in such a way that they will still be available to future generations.
The protection of soil, air, water, biodiversity and human health is the top priority of this sustainable form of economy. Natural ecosystems should remain untouched and not be impaired by agricultural production. Cultural landscapes should be preserved and regional development promoted.
In contrast to conventional agriculture, only organic fertilizers, such as the waste products of animal husbandry, are used in sustainable LWS. This creates a positive cycle that does not require the purchase of fertilizers and still contributes nutrients to the soil. In addition, the distance regulations to bodies of water are observed when using the fertilizer so that these are preserved for humans and animals. Mineral fertilizers and synthetic pesticides are not used in sustainable LWS.
By avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, local biodiversity can be preserved. The greater diversity of cultivated species and the cultivation of catch crops also have a positive effect on the preservation of biodiversity.
Bei einer nachhaltigen Landwirtschaft werden so wenige fossile Rohstoffe wie möglich eingesetzt. Es wird energieeffizient gewirtschaft, also unnötige Energieverbrauch vermieden und weitestgehend auf erneuerbare Energien umgestellt. Umweltschädliche Emissionen werden nur in dem Maße ausgestoßen, dass die Umwelt sie mit eigener Selbstreinigungskraft neutralisieren kann.
Auf sozialer Ebene ist insbesondere die Sicherstellung der Existenzfähigkeit landwirtschaftlicher Betriebe von Bedeutung. Gute Lebens- und Arbeitsbedingungen müssen für alle Menschen, die in der Landwirtschaft tätig sind, geschaffen werden. Dazu gehören ein zufriedenstellendes Einkommen und langfristige Beschäftigungsverhältnisse.
Sustainable agriculture uses as few fossil raw materials as possible. Energy-efficient management, i.e. avoiding unnecessary energy consumption and switching to renewable energies as far as possible. Environmentally harmful emissions are only emitted to the extent that the environment can neutralize them with its own self-cleaning power.
At a social level, ensuring the viability of agricultural businesses is particularly important. Good living and working conditions must be created for all people working in agriculture. This includes a satisfactory income and long-term employment relationships.
Problems of conventional agriculture
Monocultures destroy biodiversity
Conventional agriculture is the most common form of arable farming and livestock farming. However, it is not bound by certain regulations, such as organic farming.
Conventional agriculture currently produces the majority of our food. This form of farming has set itself the clear goal of producing as much food as possible at the lowest possible price. Growth and profit maximization are clearly the top priorities here. Large areas are farmed to increase profits, specializing in certain animal and plant species. This often leads to monocultures and factory farming.
Monocultures enable farmers to market their produce profitably thanks to their higher yields. Focusing on one or a few species simplifies harvesting processes and only requires the purchase of one machine. In the long term, however, monocultures are extremely damaging to the environment. One-sided farming has a negative impact on biodiversity, soil structure and groundwater and reduces animal welfare. The connection to nature is completely lost. Agricultural areas are usually so densely populated that there is hardly any room left for natural plants, animals or rivers.
Due to the one-sided cultivation, only the same nutrients are needed from the soil. This means that the nutrient used is no longer available. This in turn means that fertilizers have to be used to bring in the missing nutrients. The fertilizers used are mostly fossil and synthetic mineral fertilizers and are produced industrially. The heavy metals they contain destroy the soil microorganisms and impair soil fertility in the long term.
Heavy metals can also be harmful to human health. Other ingredients of the fertilizers such as nitrate, glyphosate and pesticide residues enter the groundwater via the soil and thus contaminate nearby bodies of water.
Conventional agriculture also likes to use pest control methods. Monocultures are particularly susceptible to pests. The problem with these products is that they consist of chemical substances and therefore destroy plants and living organisms. So also those that have a benefit for the plant. So-called beneficial insects that naturally rid cultivated plants of pests. Herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Especially for the death of bees and other important pollinator species. Treated food is also harmful to human health.
Due to the large areas of land required for these huge yields, only a few people are employed for the processes of arable farming or animal husbandry for economic reasons. Most processes are now implemented automatically. This industrialization, which continues to advance with the desire to increase profits, is making many jobs redundant.
Palm oil
The oil palm is a tropical plant with specific habitat requirements that grows precisely where rainforests normally thrive. Millions of hectares of rainforest have already been cleared for plantations used in conventional palm oil production—and most of this clearing has been done illegally. People and animals are being driven from their habitats to make way for these monocultures.
Indigenous tribes that depend on the rainforest are severely affected by deforestation. They are forced to leave their homeland, where they have lived for centuries. But farmers and communities also face violence, land disputes, human rights violations, food insecurity, and poverty as a result of the establishment of these plantations.
The biodiversity of the rainforest’s plants and animals is experiencing a sharp decline. As a result, species such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers are threatened with extinction. The habitat is severely damaged; the complete regeneration of natural primary forests often takes many decades or centuries. Where thousands of animal and plant species once formed a complex ecosystem with diverse functions, there is now only a single species: the oil palm.
Deforestation also exposes humus-rich virgin forest soils. The CO2 bound in these soils is released as a climate-damaging greenhouse gas. During periods of intensive slash-and-burn farming, Indonesia is at times among the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Slash-and-burn farming is the cheapest and therefore the most commonly used method of land clearance. The resulting smoke leads to high levels of air pollution, thereby endangering local people and animals. This results in premature deaths, respiratory diseases, and heart disease. Studies and environmental reports attribute a large portion of the regional forest and peatland fires to deforestation associated with plantation agriculture.
The soil and water also suffer under the palm monocultures. Pesticides, fertilizers, and wastewater contaminate the soil and groundwater. The production of one metric ton of oil releases approximately 2.5 metric tons of liquid waste into the environment.
We're doing what we can
OUR SUSTAINABLE FARMER
TREE NURSERY
Our nursery is at the heart of our work with nature. This is where the lives of many plants begin – plants that will later grow on our organic farm, in the botanical garden, or as part of our reforestation projects. With a great deal of patience, care, and experience, tiny seeds grow into sturdy seedlings, which often take a year before they’re strong enough to be planted in the ground.
Year after year, we raise several thousand young trees, which we plant along the national park’s buffer zone. In this way, we are gradually transforming former monocultures back into living landscapes where new natural habitats can emerge. From fruit-bearing species to native rainforest trees, a diverse array of plants thrives here, demonstrating just how powerful nature can be when we support it rather than exploit it.
Invasive weed with a big impact
WATER HYACINTHS
In the rainforests of North Sumatra, which are severely threatened by palm oil monocultures and exploitative farming practices, we are making a huge impact using a simple yet highly effective method. We regularly collect water hyacinths from nearby bodies of water, dry and ferment them, and—together with crop residues transform them into highly active organic fertilizer; a modern form of fertile terra preta.
This restores depleted soils to health and productivity, allows destroyed ecosystems to regenerate, and contributes to natural carbon sequestration by introducing organic matter into the soil. Our organic fertilizer is used in all our cultivation projects – from the Organic Farm to the Botanical Garden to the tree nursery – where it ensures stronger plants and significantly higher yields.
Food Can Be This Natural
ORGANIC GARDENS
At our organic farm in the heart of the recycling village, fruits and vegetables grow as naturally as possible. These include papayas, chili peppers, passion fruit, tomatoes, spinach, and much more. Without chemical fertilizers, but with fertile soil and our own effective organic fertilizer, a vibrant variety of plants thrives. Although the harvest is somewhat smaller than in conventional agriculture, every product offers genuine quality and a sense of satisfaction. Much of our fresh produce goes directly to the village café, is sold at markets, or is donated to people in need.
Traditional Medicine
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Through the Botanical Garden, Project Wings is committed to preserving traditional medicinal and useful plants, as well as the associated knowledge that is increasingly being lost. Among other plants, ginger, turmeric, and galangal are cultivated, all of which play an important role in traditional Indonesian medicine and cuisine. The plants are not only cultivated and documented but also processed into products such as tea and traditional jamu beverages like bandrek and kunyit asam. Since 2026, the botanical garden has been relocated to the Recycling Village and already comprises 44 large and 30 small beds with 43 different species of medicinal plants. In this way, the project combines the protection of valuable plant species used in traditional folk medicine with environmental education and sustainable income opportunities for the local population.
Giving Organic Waste Value
COMPOST
Our waste collection service also picks up organic waste from households three times a week and processes it into compost along with water hyacinths, an invasive species. More specifically, this creates terra preta, one of the most fertile soils in the world, which we return to the community after composting. Over 200 households participate in this exchange! Terra Preta can then be used as fertilizer for fruit and vegetable gardens, and the botanical garden and tree nursery also benefit from this natural fertilizer. The soil becomes more fertile, plants grow better, and produce food, the leftovers of which end up back on the compost pile. The cycle is restored.
From Waste to Product
COCONUT
This campaign is still in development, but we already have a concept:
Coconut shells, which are naturally a common source of waste in the tropics, take a very long time to biodegrade. For this reason, the shell waste generated in households should be processed into mulch and coconut fiber substrate. This turns waste into a useful product.
RESTORING BALANCE
REFORESTATION
Project Wings works to combat deforestation and the pollution of local waterways caused by plastic and water hyacinths. To this end, fruit trees are planted, and bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, is cultivated and processed into sustainable building materials such as bamboo concrete. At the same time, water hyacinths are removed from the waterways and processed into biochar. Between January and June 2026, 450 seedlings were planted in the buffer zone of Leuser National Park, and 400 kg of biochar were produced. In this way, the project combines reforestation, water protection, and the sustainable use of regional raw materials.
Food and Community
ORGANIC FARMING
The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides harms the environment, the soil, and human health. Project Wings therefore supports local farmers’ and women’s groups in transitioning to sustainable farming methods and marketing their organic products regionally. In the Recycling Village, a model plot already serves as an example of organic farming, while 14 members from three villages grow their own vegetables using organic methods. This creates environmentally friendly farming opportunities and, at the same time, new income prospects for the local population.
Growing Together
MORINGA PROGRAM
Poor nutrition and limited income opportunities pose challenges for many families and communities. That is why Project Wings is focusing on moringa, a nutrient-rich plant that can be used in a variety of ways for food production. In the Recycling Village, 250 moringa seedlings have already been planted as a demonstration plot. Additionally, there are plans to cultivate another 2.000 seedlings on farmland in collaboration with local farmers’ and women’s groups. Through training on how to process moringa into various foods, the initiative aims to improve nutrition while creating an additional source of income for the local population.
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