Voices from the Field
Stories of the people and partnerships reshaping the palm oil value chain.
For more than a decade, Wild Asia has worked alongside independent smallholders, supply chain partners, and global brands to improve livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and strengthen responsible sourcing.
Hear from small producers themselves, in their own words, about the benefits of being a WAGS member, adopting regenerative farming, and connecting with the global sustainable palm oil market.
Norella Ambang: A ‘Farming Influencer’ in the Making
When the Sabah oil palm farmer started sharing her farming journey via TikTok and Facebook, little did she know she’d become the inadvertent influencer.
Like most active social media users, smallholder farmer Norella Ambang loves sharing her everyday life events with friends and family, so when she signed up for Wild Asia’s WAGS BIO workshops, she posted her stories on Facebook and TikTok.
“The posts that snagged the most reactions are about DIY (do-it-yourself) bio juice (fruit enzyme fertiliser) and home composting,” says Norella, whose TikTok and FB followers totalled over 3,000
Through BIO workshops, Norella got the hang of making enzyme fertilisers, learned the benefits of intercropping to improve biodiversity, and the use of biochar to create microbe-rich soil and sequester carbon. She promptly applied her newfound knowledge on her oil palm farm and home garden.
As part of the BIO programme to help farmers generate supplemental income, Norella learned to grow edible mushrooms from ready-to-fruit mushroom blocks. She sells the surplus mushrooms to one of her children’s friends, who runs a catering business.
“At the end of the day, what matters is we need to commit to this kind of farming for the long haul — for the sake of our health, our children’s, and the planet’s.”
Today, Norella manages her vegetable and fruit farm organically, following natural, less interventionist methods.
“I’m thankful to the Wild Asia team, who always dish out sound advice and motivate me to farm better and keep improving. I want to explore hydroponic farming next.”
To date, she has converted about 40 percent of her oil palm farm into BIO plots, aka chemical-free plots.
But her operating costs have dipped because she hasn't bought chemical fertiliser and herbicides for over a year.
Her trees are healthier, the palm kernels are denser, and the yields are consistent.
Whether it’s growing oil palm or food, Norella thinks regenerative agriculture is the way of the future.
Bidin Loya: An Orang Asli Oil Palm Trailblazer
This second-generation indigenous farmer is leading the shift toward regenerative oil palm farming in his Mah Meri community on Carey Island, Selangor.
In 2021, Wild Asia extension agents came to Carey Island to engage independent smallholders to join the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS).
WAGS offers free technical advice, training, and capacity building to help independent smallholder farmers meet international certification standards and improve their farm management practices.
His farm received international sustainability certification in 2022, and it’s been four years now since Bidin stopped using pesticides.
“Initially, I stopped buying pesticides because of a cash crunch,” says Bidin. “But I realised I can do without it (chemicals), and I’m seeing more insects and birds on my farm.”
Insect biodiversity plays a vital role in the ecosystem for pollination, pest control and recycling of nutrients in soil.
“Our ability to adapt and survive in this
ever-shifting landscape is our biggest strength!”
In 2023, Bidin joined the WAGS BIO awareness workshop to learn about regenerative agriculture practices.
Workshop participants learn to restore and reinvigorate soil using organic matter from the farm or enzyme fertilisers converted from kitchen wastes, and the benefits of intercropping to improve soil and farm biodiversity.
“It’s been six months since I started applying BIO juice and fish hydrolysate (liquid enzyme fertilisers), I can see worm castings, and the soil has improved - it has a rich, dark brown colour and an earthy smell.”
Bidin stopped buying chemical fertilisers last year and shaved off MYR3,600 (annual fertiliser costs) from his operating costs.
Muhammed Hariz: The Millennial Oil Palm Farmer
Muhammad Hariz is a next-generation smallholder inspiring his peers to embrace regenerative farming, harness innovation, and reconnect with the land.
Muhammad Hariz Mat Jailani is a third-generation oil palm farmer from Kampung Sungai Lesong in Perak. Young farmers like Muhammad Hariz are an anomaly in Malaysia, where the average oil palm farmer is 58 years old.
As a full-time farmer, Muhammad Hariz is as hands-on as they come. From applying fertiliser and grass cutting (to manage weeds) to harvesting and collecting palm fruits, he does it all.
“One of the many perks of being young and strong is that we bring a fresh mindset and are open to trying and exploring different approaches.”
Spurred by his father, Muhammad Hariz joined the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS) in 2021 to improve his farm management practices and to meet international sustainability standards.
It was the WAGS BIO training, however, that proved to be a game-changer. Through hands-on BIO workshops, he learned to make compost, fruit enzymes, and fish fertiliser to create microbe-rich soil. He also uncovered the benefits of intercropping and integrated pest management to improve soil and farm biodiversity.
“Beyond yields and profits, what excites us is knowing that we have cheap, low-tech solutions to build resilience
to climate change.”
For the past three years, he has been using BIO juice and fish hydrolysate (liquid enzyme fertilisers) on his farm and reducing synthetic fertiliser applications progressively.
Today, his yields have grown by 30%, his trees are disease- and pest-free with healthy green fronds. More insects are buzzing around his farm, an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
As the chairman of the Young Farmers Coalition under the Farmers Organization Authority Tapah Area (Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan Tapah), Muhammad Hariz leads a group of 90 farmers, below the age of 40, from diverse backgrounds.
And this Gen Y farmer is on a mission to grow the new generation farmer network that advocates for nature-positive farming.
