Nature-based Solution & Carbon Offset

LIF has signed MoUs with a local coffee company and a cooperative to foster collaboration in the enhancing climate resilience and the livelihoods dependent Project of Gayo coffee in Aceh province,  supported by the Livelihood Fund (LCF3), including key areas of training and knowledge exchange. This strategic partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both entities to increase coffee productivity and enhance farmers’ knowledge.

LIF conducted an official visit to the Head of Bener Meriah District, Mr. Ir. H. Tagore Abu Bakar and Vice Head of Bener Meriah District , Mr. Ir. Armia on Wednesday (June 11, 2025). The visit aims to consult and coordinate the Enhancing climate resilience and the livelihoods dependent Project of Gayo coffee in Aceh province, Indonesia. The Project is supported by the Livelihoods Funds (LCF3).

The LIF team had a meeting with the head of Aceh Tengah district. Drs Haili Yoga, M.Si. The meeting aims to consult and coordinate the enhancing climate resilience and the livelihoods dependent Project of Gayo coffee in Aceh province. The project provides productive shade trees for coffee plants, which will increase disease resistance and resilience to climate change (Thursday, June 12, 2025).

On February 5, 2025, Universitas Syiah Kuala and the Leuser International Foundation signed an MoU, which symbolizes a commitment from both organizations to continue working together in various important areas, including education, research, community development, and training focused on environmental conservation. 

LIF supported by Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Metro Park Tacoma,  USA,  held a public discussion on the Sumatran tiger from the perspective of the Gayo ethnic on December 5th,  2024. This activity aims to present and discuss initial findings from a recent study done by LIF on the role of Gayo wisdom in Tiger conservation efforts in the Gayo highlands of Sumatra.

On September 4, 2024, LIF, in partnership with Livelihood Venture, organized a stakeholder consultation in Bener Meriah. This event aimed to collect feedback and input from a diverse group of attendees, including representatives from government, CSOs, universities, local communities, and coffee producers. 

Said Fauzan Baabud, chairman of LIF shared the foundation's wildlife and wide-ranging biodiversity conservation efforts at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) in Tacoma, Washington, USA, on Aug 28th, 2024. Since 2021, LIF has collaborated with PDZA on species and habitat conservation for Sumatran tiger in Aceh.

As part of implementing an agroforestry project to mitigate the impact of climate change on coffee producers in the Gayo highland, the LIF in collaboration with Livelihoods Venture and Unique conducts training sessions on Carbon Project Development. The training was attended by LIF’s staff and representatives from different organizations including local universities.

Mr. Bernard Giraud, President & Co-Founder of Livelihood Venture which is based in Paris, visited the Gayo Highland and viewed the conservation works carried out by the Leuser International Foundation. During his visit in June 2024, Mr. Bernard visited coffee farms and met with farmers, nurseries, and cooperatives.

LIF, with funding from the Dr. Holly Reed Conservation Fund of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA), conducts tiger monitoring and conflict mitigation in Aceh. This is part of a participatory science-based tiger conservation program that includes population monitoring, prey recovery, and cost-effective resolution of human-tiger conflict (March, 2022) 

Leuser International Foundation and Janine Grant Consulting organizing a regional webinar about “How Huma-Wildlife Conflict Affects Conservation Efforts in ASEAN”. Learning from the experts of wildlife conservation and discussing the solution for sustainable life. Wednesday, 9 February 2022. 09.00 AM Jakarta Time.

Leuser International Foundation and Janine Grant Consulting organizing a webinar about “The Root Causes of Human-elephant Conflict in Aceh and Natural-Based Solutions” advocating natural-based solutions to prevent HEC and protect critically endangered Sumatran Elephant Wednesday, 2 February 2022. 10.00 – 11.30 AM Jakarta Time.

LIF has restarted its Environmental Education Program in the new year of 2022. The program aims to educate students in early childhood and their teachers on the importance of forest protection, biodiversity, and environmental services of the Leuser ecosystem. In this first phase, 20 schools including kindergartens in Langkat district of North Sumatra benefited from learnings through face-to-face and fun teaching classes, photos, and posters.

Leuser International Foundation in cooperation with TFCA - CRU  Aceh, and Aceh’s Environmental and Forestry Dinas (DLHK) socialized  alternative crops which are non-palatable and low risk from the raiding  by wild elephant to key stakeholders. The socialization event which took  place at DLHK Aceh attended by representatives from CRU Aceh, DLHK,  BKSDA, BAPPEDA, Agriculture and Plantation Dinas, and several local NGOs  (December 22, 2021).

Leuser International Foundation with support from Permata Hijau  Group (PHG) has recently launched a land restoration project by planting  eight thousand trees on degraded land around Gayo arabica coffee  plantation working with Tigkem community  in Bener Meriah, Gayo highland  Aceh Province, Indonesia. (04th Nov, 2021)

LIF donated a trail bike and three binoculars to Conservation  Response Unit (CRU) DAS Peusangan to support the transportation and  visualization aspects of the CRU operation in conservation of wild  elephants and habitat (24th July, 2021). 

LIF team undertaken field study on human elephant conflict (HEC)  in Aceh Province. The study is dedicated to support the  advisory on  pro-elephant development and planning policies. 

LIF's enumerator interviews farmers to identify non-palatable  crops to elephants as part of project Implementation of urgent action  plan to save sumatran elephant population in Aceh, Supported by CRU Aceh  & TFCA Consortium, 2021.

On Aug 4th, 2020  Leuser International Foundation (LIF) received  award from Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry for  contributing to the conservation and wildlife protection in the Leuser  Ecosystem from 1998 to 2020. 

The  Sumatra Gayo highland is not only famous for its huge Arabica  coffee plantation in Indonesia, but also it is the home for birds  diversity. Supported by Dean’s Beans Organic  Coffee  Co, our team has  completed half way of birds diversity survey around coffee  plantations  in Bener Meriah District of Gayo and found more  than 70 birds species  calling, singing, feeding and perching around the  coffee farms.

In partnership and supported by Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co,  the foundation managed to rehabilitate and reconstruct One Kilometer of  community water piping system which included water in-take and water  distribution tanks for Sumatra Gayo coffee farmers residence in Kenawat  Redelong, Bener Meriah, Aceh province. The project benefited to 250  villagers (70 households), water access to coffee farms, public  facilities including baths and cemetery.