Indigenous communities leverage sago palm for sustainable food systems

Indigenous communities in the Philippines and Indonesia are leveraging traditional knowledge to build sustainable food systems through the cultivation of sago. In the Caraga region of the Philippines, the Manobo community has launched the country's first sago palm flour enterprise, aiming to transform the crop into a versatile ingredient for more sustainable livelihoods.

The Asia Pacific region accounted for over 50% of global sago revenue in 2023, with Indonesia and the Philippines acting as primary drivers. In South Sorong, Papua, Indonesia, local communities are utilizing sago forests as a source of healthy food through environmental stewardship. Programs like the Merdesa Village School (SEKAM), led by the Bentara Papua Association, engage youth in natural resource management to protect these ecosystems. After facing threats from illegal logging in previous decades, communities in the region have focused on reforestation efforts to restore sago varieties and improve soil water absorption.