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SPIRAL Study Tour
Kota Tinggi

An immersive field experience bridging data-driven agriculture and community-led landscape transformation.

SPIRAL STUDY TOUR - KOTA TINGGI

3 days, 2 nights

Kota Tinggi, Johor

Study Tour Overview

Johor is one of Malaysia's key agricultural regions and plays an important role in the country's palm oil sector, hosting independent smallholders, dealers, estates, mills, and conservation landscapes that collectively contribute to a complex and evolving supply chain.

This study tour offers a unique opportunity to follow the palm oil value chain from certified smallholders in the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS) to our partner dealers, mills, and estates, and conservation areas managed by WAGS farmers.

Study Tour Highlights

Field visit to RSPO-certified

independent smallholders

Introduction to WAGS & WAGS BIO regenerative transition model

Hands-on tree planting activity within a conservation buffer area

Discussion on mill by-products

and soil regeneration

Estate visit to understand sustainability challenges and landscape management

Learning session on human-elephant coexistence, biodiversity corridors and nature inclusion

Environmental & Landscape Context

The Kota Tinggi and Teluk Sengat landscapes in Johor are characterised by a mosaic of oil palm smallholdings, commercial estates, river systems, mangrove habitats, and forested areas. Many rural communities depend on oil palm cultivation as a primary source of income, making sustainable agricultural practices critical for long-term livelihoods.

The area is also environmentally significant due to its proximity to mangrove ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and forest reserves that support biodiversity and ecological connectivity. As many oil palm plots enter replanting cycles, there is increasing interest in regenerative practices that restore soil health while maintaining productivity.

At the same time, challenges such as human-elephant coexistence, riparian protection, and balancing agricultural production with conservation priorities highlight the need for landscape-level solutions.

This study tour demonstrates how sustainable palm oil production can be integrated with biodiversity conservation, traceability, and community development to create more resilient agricultural landscapes.