Our obsession for the delicious palm sugar led us to a journey into the beautiful forests located in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where the sugar palms are. We tasted the fresh palm sap for the first time, and visited the world first Arenga palm sugar factory.

The factory and a 2,000 hectare plantation are run by the Masarang Foundation, a non-government organization (NGO) specializing in environmental conservation through the active role of local people. Profits from the factory are shared by more than 6000 sugar palm farmers in the region - reviving the community economy with higher employment and better education.

A pleasant walk in the Masarang mountain and we learned from Dr. Willie Smits about the unique reforestation projects with sugar palms.

Million of trees and crops were planted by the local community to restore their rain forests that were once damaged. Now beautiful forests with sugar palms, banana trees, eggplants, cocoa trees, cloves trees, nutmeg trees, papaya trees, corn, and many more. Huge sugar palms are everywhere with fresh sap ready to be tapped and transported to the factory - Village Hub - where palm sugar is made.

By bringing the precious palm sugar direct from the Village Hub to your kitchen, we are all part of the sweet solution in preserving the rain forests and biodiversity!