The Singkil–Leuser Landscape stretches across Aceh Singkil and Aceh Selatan in Aceh Province, and Pakpak Bharat in North Sumatra—covering more than 88,000 hectares of forests, peatlands, and community farmland . It is a landscape of global significance: one of the last refuges for the Sumatran tiger, elephant, and orangutan, while also being a major center of palm oil production. In Aceh Singkil alone, smallholders manage more than 31,000 hectares of oil palm, representing over 70% of the cultivated area. This makes farmers not only producers, but also frontline stewards of critical habitats.

Since 2019, Nature50 has been present in Singkil–Leuser to ensure that smallholder livelihoods and biodiversity protection go hand in hand. Through the Inclusive Smallholder (CNEO) program, we are supporting independent farmers to gain land legality, access sustainable markets, and adopt practices that protect forests and peatlands. By facilitating social forestry permits across villages, more than 10,000 hectares of forests are being secured under community management turning farmers into guardians of tiger and elephant habitats.

The Sungai Singkil peat swamp, part of this landscape, stores vast carbon reserves but faces high risks from encroachment and illegal activity. Here, Critical Habitat Protection (CHP) ensures that peat forests and wildlife corridors remain intact, while also opening opportunities for future carbon finance.

At the same time, Nature50 has positioned local governments as key partners. Through Local Government Support Facilities (LGSF), we have formalized collaboration with Aceh Singkil and Aceh Selatan, embedding sustainable landscape management into district development agendas and ensuring that protection efforts align with regional visions of prosperity and resilience.

This landscape is also where Re-entry for Recovery (R4R) becomes critical: companies operating in the region with past deforestation liabilities are required to restore ecosystems and contribute to social compensation before rejoining sustainable supply chains.

The vision for Singkil–Leuser is clear: a landscape where independent smallholders produce palm oil that is carbon-neutral and deforestation-free, forests and peatlands are conserved as tiger and elephant habitats, and local governments lead in balancing conservation with economic growth.