In Malaysia’s Semai highlands, many Orang Asli families remain trapped in poverty as deforestation and land encroachment threaten their ancestral farms.

Despite their deep connection to the land, Malaysia’s Orang Asli communities continue to face socioeconomic hardship, with many households living below the national poverty level. As development expands, areas crucial to their livelihood are increasingly encroached upon.

For communities whose income depends on the forest, the question of survival is also one of sustainability. Preserving biodiversity and practising responsible land use have become vital for their future. To achieve this, new models of cultivation must balance economic opportunity with ecosystem restoration.

Dusun Merdeka partners with Orang Asli farmers to revive cocoa cultivation using sustainable methods that protect biodiversity and restore income.

The social enterprise sources cocoa beans directly from Orang Asli farmers in Semai, Pahang, paying fair and transparent prices that exceed market rates. By doing so, Dusun Merdeka encourages local farmers to revive once-neglected cocoa plantations and regrow them sustainably.

Orang Asli communities already cultivate the land with minimal use of pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides, preserving the nutrient-rich topsoil and microbial ecosystem. Their traditional methods align perfectly with cocoa’s natural needs, as cocoa thrives under the shade of larger trees. Through these practices, Dusun Merdeka helps protect biodiversity while ensuring that farmers benefit economically from the land they care for.

The enterprise also provides training and education to help farmers produce higher-yield, higher-quality cocoa beans. This hands-on support empowers communities to achieve better returns and greater financial stability over time.

AirAsia Foundation’s grant supports Dusun Merdeka in expanding training, improving transparency, and restoring ecosystems through sustainable cocoa farming.

The funding enables Dusun Merdeka to:

• Encourage the preservation of ecosystems in cultivated areas and fund volunteer reforestation efforts to restore biodiversity
• Improve transparency in cocoa purchases and continue offering higher-than-market prices to increase household income
• Organise training opportunities for local Orang Asli farmers to improve cocoa yields and achieve better prices

Through this support, Dusun Merdeka can continue enriching Orang Asli families, fund community development, and accelerate reforestation efforts across the region.