We spent a week in the villages of Long Semadoh Valley in March to meet with Langit’s network of farmers to collect data on farming practices, review last season’s harvest and share feedback on the last batch of rice we procured. As our operations steadily expand, it’s important to put proper measures in place in order to better manage expectations between the organization and our farmers.
For us, community engagement works both ways. We take into account the voices of all our stakeholders involved, instead of the usual top-down approach. Working with the community means getting as many voices heard (one at a time is our preference) , to eliminate bias, favoritism and miscommunication. We have learned over the years that information is best gathered through multiple casual conversations and meetings, and definitely not through the traditional survey forms. Hence in our world, field work means literally going to the ground (field included) and directly engaging with the stakeholders.
This visit’s series of town hall meetings ended on a high note, with more farmers who are eager to get onboard with chemical-free farming practices. It’s heartening to see the time and effort invested by the team bearing fruit, so do look out for Langit’s exciting developments in the coming months!
p/s: If you have experience in chemical-free farming practices for smallholder subsistence farmers, let’s connect! Drop us an email at hello@langit.com.my