Seeing Clearly, Growing Stronger: How Glasses Boost Productivity

Vanilla is a difficult plant to cultivate, demanding specific conditions to thrive. One of its most crucial needs? Manual hand pollination. This delicate process requires incredible precision and crystal-clear eyesight from our farmers.

We realized that many of our partner vanilla farmers are over 50. With age often comes hypermetropia, or farsightedness, making the essential hand pollination process much tougher to do efficiently.

That's why ORIGINE decided to provide convex eyeglasses directly to our vanilla farmers in various regions. Our process is as follows:

• Community Gatherings: We bring farmers together at a central distribution point.
• Vision Assessment: We carefully check each farmer's vision using a Snellen chart.
• Prescription Pairings: We identify the right lens strength and match it with comfortable eyeglasses.
• Ongoing Connection: We follow up with informal meetings, ensuring everything's going well and getting valuable feedback.

Since the start of the initiative in 2020, we have distributed 3,500 glasses across these areas:

• 2020 : 650 pairs of glasses in Adonara
• 2020 : 350 pairs of glasses in Selayar
• 2022 : 500 pairs of glasses in Lore
• 2024 : 2000 pairs of glasses in Flores

By simply enhancing their vision, our partner farmers aren't just able to pollinate vanilla more effectively and boost their yields. They're also experiencing an improvement in their overall quality of life.

“Because of the glasses, the pollination goes faster than before (without glasses)”

- Kurniadi, One of ORIGINE’s Partner Vanilla Farmer

Rainwater Harvesting System: Ensuring Agricultural Sustainability

Aside from supporting our farmers’ ability to see clearly, we also recognize another fundamental issue they’re facing. Prolonged drought periods, exacerbated by global climate change, present a significant challenge to agricultural communities: limited water access. Numerous small-scale vanilla farming communities in Flores, Selayar, and Bulukumba face severe water scarcity, largely due to the El Niño phenomenon. Farmers are often forced to travel long distances to procure limited water supplies, which substantially reduces their operational efficiency.

Drought conditions pose critical threats to agricultural sustainability:

• Plant Vulnerability: Weakened plants become highly susceptible to diseases such as Fusarium and root rot.
• Less Yields: Decreased yields directly jeopardize farmer livelihoods.

To mitigate this critical issue, ORIGINE's field team conducts comprehensive surveys of plantations experiencing water availability challenges. This is followed by detailed assessments to profile the land and determine the specific requirements for effective rainwater harvesting systems.

Upon completion of the assessment phase, our Internal Control System (ICS) team collaborates with Tripper’s engineers to manage project implementation and oversee water tank installations. A key aspect of our approach is the active engagement of local communities; we prioritize involving local workers and farmers in the construction of these tanks. Each tank, with an approximate capacity of 5,000 liters, is designed to benefit at least four farmers, thereby fostering shared ownership and promoting the long-term sustainability of the system.

To ensure the long-term impact of the water tank, community training is provided post-installation. Priority for oversight and maintenance responsibility is given to the landlord farmer. Our field team also conducts regular inspections to monitor tank conditions and provide necessary follow-up support.

To date, we have successfully installed 48 tanks, impacting over 192 farmers. The consistent availability of clean water now enables farmers to regularly irrigate their vanilla plantations, maintaining crop health throughout dry seasons. Additionally, this improved water access extends to daily household needs. This enhanced water availability not only bolsters agricultural productivity but also contributes significantly to the overall well-being and time efficiency of farming families.

For 2025, we project the construction of an additional 21 rainwater harvesting tanks to address water shortages in vulnerable plantation areas, particularly those susceptible to climate change impacts. By improving water availability, we aim to safeguard vanilla farmers’ yields and incomes, thereby reducing the risk of crop failure due to prolonged drought or irregular rainfall patterns.

“What I like about the rainwater harvesting system is that I can access water directly from my plantation. I’ve recommended it to other farmers in my village because it’s affordable and effective.”

- Andi, Vanilla, Clove, and Nutmeg Farmer

The Ripple Effect: How These Initiatives Create Lasting Changes

By providing rainwater tanks and eyeglasses, we’re not just enhancing farmer productivity. We are empowering our farming partners with opportunities for a higher quality of life and a sustainable income for years to come. We believe that these initiatives represent not just immediate results, but also vital investments in the long-term resilience and prosperity of our farming communities.

Our commitment extends beyond the farm. Partnering with ORIGINE isn’t just changing suppliers, you’re joining a movement that’s building a transparent, ethical supply chain that supports the Indonesian farmers, their families, and the local ecosystems. Choose ORIGINE. Make an impact.

FAQs

Why are eyeglasses important for ORIGINE’s vanilla farmers?

Because vanilla cultivation requires precision and clear eyesight, particularly the manual hand pollination process. Many of Origine’s partner farmers are over 50 and experience farsightedness, making eyeglasses a necessity for them during vanilla cultivation.

How many eyeglasses has ORIGINE distributed since the start of the initiative?

To date, ORIGINE has distributed 3,500 pairs of glasses across various regions in Indonesia, namely Adonara, Selayar, Lore, and Flores.

Why are rainwater harvesting systems crucial for farming communities in Indonesia?

Many small-scale farming in regions like Flores, Selayar, and Bulukumba face severe water scarcity due to prolonged droughts exacerbated by climate change-related phenomena, such as El Niño. This could jeopardize plant health and farmer livelihoods in general. Rainwater harvesting systems allow them to have consistent access to water supply.

How many rainwater tanks has ORIGINE installed and what’s the impact?

ORIGINE has installed 48 tanks, impacting over 192 farmers. Not only do these tanks provide them water for irrigation, but also support their household needs. This initiative boosts agricultural productivity and farmers’ well-being.