You are about to learn a lot about a small environmental non-governmental and non-profit organization located in the highlands of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi as well about our exciting nature and people.

We warmly welcome your comments or suggestions to improve our service to the English speaking community that is visiting our website. Please send your e-mail to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We are a legally registered non-profit foundation established on January 17th, 2001 by Notary Act No.175, and since January 22nd, 2001 officially registered with the department of Justice in Tondano with Registration No.: 02/YS/2001/PN.TDO, having our offices in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia at Jalan Nazaret, Matani 3, Lingk.8.

We have our books annually audited by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and BDO from the beginning. We adhere to the 3P principles (People, Planet, Profit) to achieve our goal to save the environment through the active role of the local people.

Masarang Foundation in Facebook

Overview Masarang Palm Sugar (PDF File)

Masarang Address at The Netherlands:

Some Facts:

·         The first Arenga Palm Sugar Factory in the world

·         Saving 200.000 trees per year by utilizing waste steam of a geothermal project as energy source

·         Organic production without chemicals or additives

·         In an environmentally friendly zero waste factory

·         Whose profit goes 100% to the 6285 members of the Masarang sugar palm tappers cooperative

·         Yielding great tasting and much healthier sugar

Some interesting sugar facts     

·         Since it is made from pure palm juice it contains various beneficial substances like for instance various vitamins and amino acids

·         The taste, texture and color can be arranged by controlling temperature, pH, pressure and other non chemical factors in the production process

·         Research with thousands of real life persons has shown significant health effects for palm sugar consumers compared to white sugar users

Some Production Data of Sugar Palms in Tomohon

Why Masarang Palm Sugar?
20 reasons to think about…

1. Our sugar is certified as 100% organic product for Europe and the USA and contains no artificial additives
2. Our product is free from pollutants (no bees, ash, other products mixed) because the juice is all processed under controlled conditions in the certified and hygienic factory
3. Our sugar production makes use of surplus geothermal heat and in this way saves tens of thousands of trees being cut as fuel wood
4. On top of this our factory is zero waste
5. We pay the highest price of anybody in Indonesia for the juice while reducing the farmers’ work load and health risks. We are better than Fair Trade!
6. The farmers own the sugar palms and are themselves involved in how the activities are managed and democratically choose their coordinators to represent them on a daily basis
7. Taste tests have consistently shown that our sugar is the best one available, due to our secret processing methodology using advanced technology to ensure the consistent quality of our sugar
8. The sugar was tested by various laboratories from within and outside Indonesia and has been found to be free of micro-organisms
9. Our sugar contains very high amounts of amino acids such as glutamine and arginine, substances that are known to have a very positive effect upon human health
10. Our sugar has also been found to contain many other beneficial substances, including anti oxidants, vitamins and important minerals
11. Our research from surveys involving about 1000 persons and from experimental research with laboratory rats we found that our palm sugar increases life expectancy with 10 years
12. Our special micro-crystal palm sugar has been tested and found to have a glycemic index under 30, which makes it the healthiest sugar in the world, resulting in less diabetes and obesity
13. Our sugar helped many people with acid reflux problems and gas and obstipation
14. Palm sugar is used widely in Indonesia by athletes before important events to increase their stamina
15. We not only process palm juice but also actively work with our farmer groups to reforest critical lands with mixed sugar palm forests of selected seed trees to ensure an even more sustainable palm sugar supply in the future
16. The reforestation with sugar palms on steep slopes improves the environment, including irrigated rice culture in the valleys
17. We also help the farmers with other sugar palm products such as the very durable and beautiful palm wood, which was previously only burned as fuel wood. This wood is only available after the trees start dying and are no longer producing juice
18. We help the farmers to set up cooperatives and micro credit institutions themselves to promote the local economic initiatives
19. We help the poorest sugar palm tapper families with scholarships for their children
20. In addition we provide health and accident insurance for the  palm tapper members and their families. The farmers hold regular general share holder meetings and in the past have decided themselves to contribute to nature conservation activities, including wildlife protection

Attendees Will Learn How Planting Trees Has Helped Local Communities and the Orangutan Population

Indonesian biologist Willie Smits will deliver a Keynote Address at the 2009 ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC) in July. Smits will share his inspirational passion for rebuilding forest habitats and orangutan populations. He will talk about a project under way in eastern Borneo that is helping communities by creating a better future for local people, trees, and the orangutan.

Smits is driven by the idea that rebuilding orangutan populations begins with improving their forest habitat, which had been damaged by deforestation. To this end, Smits serves as chairman for the Masarang Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to raise money and awareness in hopes of restoring forests and empowering local people. In 2007, the organization opened a palm-sugar factory that uses thermal energy to turn sugar palms into sugar and ethanol, returning cash and power to the community. The factory provides local people with alternatives to the short-term fix of harvesting forests to survive.

“My lifelong goal is to save as much as possible from our global environment for future generations by providing real-life examples of harmonious living in balance with nature,” said Smits on the Masarang Foundation’s Web site. “I also believe that we cannot save the environment if we do not simultaneously take care of the people’s needs.”

According to Smits, the project has successfully created more than 3,000 jobs; reintroduced bird, lizard, and primate species; provided food for the orangutan; and lessened both floods and fires.

“Willie Smits’ dedication to improving the environment to benefit his community and the orangutan population is incredibly admirable,” said ESRI president Jack Dangermond. “Attendees will feel inspired after hearing more about the project and the success it has achieved.”

The ESRI UC, the world’s largest conference devoted to geographic information system (GIS) technology, will be held July 13–17 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The conference draws thousands of users from across the globe who come together to learn, collaborate, and discover the latest developments in GIS. The conference theme this year is GIS: Designing Our Future. To find out more about the ESRI UC and to register, visit www.esri.com/uc.

Source: http://gisandscience.com/2009/05/19/biologist-willie-smits-to-speak-at-the-esri-international-user-conference/

you can find the video here
http://www.esri.com/events/uc/agenda/plenary.html