Introduction

The livelihoods of the rural Minangkabau people in the river basin depend highly on the natural ecosystem. This is also explained by the traditional delineation of a Nagari/ village along sub-catchment areas, as a way to secure freshwater resources for people in the village.

In broader terms, important socio-economic functions of the Singkarak river basin consist of income from fishing in the lake, domestic water-use, and irrigation water for rice production. Rice cultivation by the female members of a suku is an intrinsic part of Minang socio-cultural life and crucial for food security. It is an important in-kind contribution to family wealth.

Fishing has always been an activity for men, as it could provide a major source of cash income. However, Figure 5 shows a sharp decline in fish stocks between 1996-2004. CO2Operate BV initiated conducting an evaluation study by the Belgian University of Leuven about the impact of the Gula Gula food forest program so far. It became clear that survey respondents mentioned that the fish (ikan bilih in particular) in the lake have largely disappeared. The depleted fish stocks in the lake have not since recovered. This hinders their most important source of income. The CO2Operate BV carbon payment scheme is therefore well received by locals as it offers a potential alternative to vanishing natural resource incomes.

Goals

This project aims at promoting ethical trade by developing transparent global supply chain for agroforestry products. This will be done through (a) establishing post harvest processing units for agroforestry products; (b) certifying agroforestry products with organic certifications and (c) outreaching agroforestry products for global market especially EU markets.