Frequently Asked Question

Who Are We?

As the name suggests, we are a foundation. We also identify ourselves as a nongovernmental organization or NGO that concerns food and agriculture issues.

We believe that we can address the challenge to provide food for the population by growing foods in suboptimal lands. If you are unfamiliar with these terms — food security, suboptimal land, sustainable agriculture, and so on — please check out the FAQ on our causes.

We have four main activities: conducting research, educating, consulting, and advocating, as mentioned here. In essence, to achieve our vision, we need to keep improving and disseminating all works relevant to our belief, that is the sustainable agriculture practice in suboptimal land. All of our works, including our current projects are based on scientific principles and you can find many of our research findings in the Resources page. We also translate the ‘scientific language’ into infographics and other visually-aid contents which we post in our Instagram page.

 Yes, Tay Juhana is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) that is not associated with any party, is controlled by an independent party, and is not connected to the government or any other political organization.

Tay Juhana Foundation is not a corporate CSR. We are the working partner of the Sambu group, where we research sustainable agriculture on suboptimal land in the Pulau Burung district, which is part of the Sambu group plantation area. But our focus is to undertake research, conduct education, provide consultation, and advocate so that suboptimal land can be used for food security solutions through sustainable agriculture.

We realize that as an organization, our dream is big, and we cannot achieve it by ourselves. Therefore, our door is always open for discussions for those who share the same vision as ours — we can explore possible opportunities to create something together and be a part of the solution. Whether you are a part of an organization which wants to broaden the network, a company who puts sustainability on top of business concern, or just someone who cares about the better life of the future generation, please contact us. This is the right time to act!

How We Work?

Sub-optimal land is defined as land having a naturally low level of productivity. It is possible to categorize sub-optimal land as acid dry land, dry climate land, tidal swamp land, lowland swamp land, or peat land. Suboptimal land can be used as agricultural land with sustainable agriculture techniques, so it can be a solution for food security without deforestation.

Mr.Tay Juhana sees the potential of wetlands as land capable of producing food, but getting started takes work. There was not much research and knowledge about suboptimal land then, so few people opposed or even thought Mr.Tay Juhana’s idea was impossible. But with various efforts through the results of independent research and observations made by Mr. Tay Juhana, Suboptimal land cultivation can be proven through the trio of water management he built on bird island.

TJF collaborates with various stakeholders to achieve the shared goals. We also open to have a partnership with you through many kinds of program such as research, farmers development, educational activities, and alliance building to advocate sustainable suboptimal lands agriculture and food security.

The Tay Juhana Foundation (TJF) is not anti-conservation. We believe sustainable agriculture is part of conservation. Suboptimal land cultivation can be a sustainable solution to provide food for humans with sustainable agriculture management and paying attention to environmental aspects. With Suboptimal land cultivation, humans no longer need to destroy forests for farming, so Suboptimal land cultivation is one good solution for the future in a sustainable manner

We realize the role of peatlands as carbon sinks, but peatlands also have potential as agricultural land. Still, not all peatlands are suitable for agricultural land. With good agricultural management in a sustainable manner, agriculture on peatlands can be carried out through water management so that agriculture with low carbon emissions can be carried out on peatlands. We are not only campaigning for agriculture on peatlands and other suboptimal lands.

Yes, it is possible to manage sustainable agriculture in suboptimal land, although it may require more effort and careful planning. One approach is to control water management on suboptimal land to keep the soil moisture, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil health, which can help to increase crop yields and sustainability. Managing sustainable agriculture in suboptimal land requires a combination of appropriate practices and techniques tailored to the land’s specific conditions. With proper management, it is possible to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability in suboptimal land.

You can read the success story of suboptimal land cultivation in this page.