Dita Adi Saputra

The challenge

Salak fruit is often overproduced and salak farmers have experienced difficulties finding new markets for their crops. This excess was first noted in research findings in 1995 and reached a peak in 1998. The salak crop in Bangunkerto village alone produces around 1 ton of salak fruit waste every month. This waste is dumped locally, attracting flies and other insects, creating an environmental hazard.

Business approach

Dita Adi Saputra and his colleagues have developed a pilot project using Salak fruit waste to produce and sell bio-ethanol and organic fertiliser. Dita has envisioned an enterprise run as a commercial vehicle to produce and sell bio-ethanol and organic fertiliser. With guidance from a team of consultants, lead by Dita, a community of Salak farmers will be involved directly in the daily operation of this social enterprise.

Goals and objectives

Farmers will receive additional income, gain valuable tangible assets in the form of equipment and technology and acquire innovative skills in transforming waste into high-value product. The local environment will become healthier with a reduction in waste dumped in their own backyards. Bio-ethanol energy produced by the community will help farmers in the village and surrounding areas to become energy-independent, replacing expensive kerosene as an energy source for cooking. This enterprise will also create jobs and improve farmers' living standards.