Covering 2.6 million hectares, the Leuser Ecosystem is one of Southeast Asia’s most important ecological landscapes. It is the last place on earth where orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos coexist in the wild. The area includes Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that holds immense biodiversity and global environmental value. However, this landscape faces increasing pressure as agricultural land for palm oil expands, threatening its existence over the next two decades. In the eyes of investors, palm oil represents a high-demand commodity. For millions of smallholders, it serves as their primary income source. Without strong governance of land use, forest conservation consistently loses ground to lucrative economic gains.
Entering Phase II, LASR, in partnership with Earthworm Foundation, expands into Aceh Selatan, a frontline where palm oil expansion is threatening one of the region’s most critical wildlife corridors, the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve. Beyond environmental, the challenges are systemic. Because land boundaries are often unclear, tracking commodities becomes difficult, companies struggle to enter premium global markets, and smallholder livelihoods remain highly vulnerable. It requires an alignment shift with sustainable land use, while strengthening the institutions that guide these decisions. To systemically address and prevent environmental risk spillover, operations extend across borders, connecting three palm oil-producing districts and the buffer zone of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Aceh Singkil, Subulussalam, and Aceh Selatan.
LASR, a program funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) through its Sustainable Landscape Program Indonesia (SLPI), is implemented by Swisscontact in partnership with Earthworm Foundation. The core of the initiative is bringing together local government, private companies, and communities under a Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP). They jointly work towards better land use governance, compliance standards, and livelihood strengthening while mitigating environmental risks.
In Phase II, the MSPs are further empowered to operate independently, facilitate inclusive dialogues, and help local mills and suppliers meet international sustainability standards. The project will also help integrate community land maps into official government spatial plans that identify areas for protection and document customary lands. Moreover, a dedicated unit monitors real-time satellite mapping for coordinated action, launching fast field responses to deforestation the moment it happens. Sustaining local efforts beyond the project cycle, stronger links are built to funding opportunities, such as through the Palm Oil Profit Sharing Fund. In parallel, corporate partners will help expand sustainable agroforestry, making it a profitable investment alongside forest protection. Together, these actions help ensure long-term conservation in which MSPs' capabilities are strengthened to make better land-use decisions, resolve land ownership conflicts, develop alternative sources of income, and access investment opportunities from both public and private sectors.
Designed to foster inclusivity and sustainability, direct beneficiaries include three district governments, three Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs), and ten local palm oil mills and plantations. On the ground, 300 smallholder farmers will receive support for cultivating land registration, a step that gives them greater legal security while encouraging sustainable production practices. Working conditions for 450 plantation workers are set to improve, and around 1,000 villagers will benefit from bottom-up land-use planning processes that shape the future of their own communities. Notably, the program places deliberate focus on women-led Farmer Business Units, ensuring that vulnerable low-income households gain equal access to market, financing, and training opportunities.