On the rugged slopes of Lampung, there once lay barren land dry, eroded, and nearly abandoned. For many, it was a place without hope. But for Mr. Sigit, a senior pepper farmer, it was the beginning of a vision.
Decades ago, he looked at those steep, infertile hillsides and imagined something different. He believed that the land could live again if treated with patience and care. Guided by his experience and love for the soil, he began experimenting with agroforestry integrating black pepper vines and coffee trees, supported by shade trees to restore balance to nature.
At first, the challenges were overwhelming. The soil was fragile, water was scarce, and many doubted his dream. But season after season, Mr. Sigit persisted. He built terraces to hold the soil, planted cover crops to restore fertility, and carefully selected varieties of pepper and coffee suited for the land. Slowly, the brown, barren slopes turned green.
Today, Mr. Sigit’s farm stands as a living classroom. Coffee trees rise in rows, their roots holding the mountain steady, while pepper vines climb gracefully toward the sky. Birds return, the soil breathes again, and the harvest provides not only for his family but also inspires a new generation of farmers in Lampung.
For Mr. Sigit, agroforestry is more than farming it is a legacy of resilience, a reminder that barren land can be reborn, and that true prosperity comes when people work hand in hand with nature.
