In collaboration with the Slow Food Presidium for Wild Honey from Nanga Lauk

In the wetlands of Indonesian Borneo, a community is demonstrating that protecting a traditional food like honey can help preserve biodiversity, strengthen livelihoods, and inspire a new generation of forest guardians.

Nanga Lauk, a small village in West Kalimantan, is surrounded by a mosaic of peat swamp forests, lakes, and river ecosystems. Here, the forest is not just a landscape—it is the foundation of life, culture, and food security.

For generations, the villagers have lived in harmony with a 1,430-hectare forest, rich in species and traditions centered around wild honey.

Every year, as the flowering season begins, millions of giant bees (Apis dorsata) arrive in the area. Drawn by the abundance of nectar-producing trees that thrive in the flooded forests and along the shores of the lakes, they build their nests high up and produce a honey that reflects the area’s extraordinary botanical diversity. The bees feed on species such as putat, ubah, emasung, and taun, creating a unique flavor profile.

The result is a complex, golden multifloral honey that yields between 10 and 15 metric tons of honey for the community each year.

But the value of the honey goes beyond the economy. Harvesting follows traditional methods passed down through generations: gatherers build tikung, wooden structures attached to trees to attract wild colonies, enabling a sustainable harvest that respects ecological cycles.

For the residents of Nanga Lauk, the health of the bees depends on the health of the forest: without flowers, there is no nectar, and without nectar, there is no honey. Today, the community works through the Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD) to protect the forest from degradation, fires, illegal logging, and intrusions.

The role of young people is particularly significant, as they participate in monitoring, awareness-raising, and conservation activities.

Exploring lakes, planting trees, and holding meetings on food sustainability: young people are forging a link between environmental protection and the community’s future. Their message is simple: protecting the forest means protecting their livelihood.

This connection between food and conservation has gained international recognition with the establishment of the Slow Food Presidium for Nanga Lauk Wild Honey. The Presidium supports producers in maintaining traditional practices, improving quality, and accessing markets, while highlighting the link between the product, the ecosystem, and local knowledge.

The Presidium strengthens quality controls, promotes sustainable standards, and ensures an equitable distribution of benefits.

Behind every jar of honey lies a community-based internal control system that safeguards both the quality of the product and the forest that makes it possible. After harvesting, the honey is tested with a refractometer to check its moisture content; if it exceeds the standards, it is carefully dehumidified to preserve its aroma and nutritional value, in compliance with the Indonesian standard of 21% moisture content.

The story of Nanga Lauk demonstrates that conservation works when communities are at the center. The forest stores carbon, regulates water, and is home to wildlife: Bornean orangutans and Malayan sun bears approach the hives when the water in the lakes recedes, coexisting with the local residents without conflict.

Each flowering season serves as a reminder that economic well-being and ecological health are inseparable.

As a local saying goes: “If the community benefits from it, it protects the forest.” In Nanga Lauk, every drop of honey tells a story: of bees, of flowers, of generations safeguarding the forest for the future. Here, honey becomes a bridge between people and nature, between tradition and the future. As long as the forest stands, the bees will return, the flowers will bloom, and the community will continue to harvest not only honey, but life itself.