Earlier this year I was fortunate to participate in the inception workshop for the Integrated Sound Management of Mercury in Indonesia’s Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (GOLD-ISMIA) project. ISMIA is the Indonesia component of a global programme, funded by the GEF and partner governments, to phase out mercury use in Artisanal and Small-scale gold mining. This follows the vision of Prof. Marcello Veiga at UBC in Vancouver who describes how with appropriate support, illeg

Its not about science, it’s about livelihoods and mindsets Today I’ve been in the south of Dompu District on the Indonesian Island of Sumbawa, talking with farmers who are keen to grow fruit and vegetables (horticulture). The traditional farming systems in this part of Indonesia are based around corn, cattle and rice production. Farming in this part of the world is hard work. There is a long dry season between about May and October, and right now eyes are constantly looking s

Massey University is lending its expertise to help Indonesian farmers build capability and to realise long-term sustainable development goals. The four year Indonesian agribusiness development project was launched on the 22nd February at the University of Mataram on the island of Lombok, east of Bali. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have contributed $4.2 million to the project via the New Zealand Aid Programme. This support will enable farmers to build infrastructur