Forest Wise

Forest Wise sources and processes sustainably harvested rainforest products from Indigenous Dayak communities in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The social enterprise connects local producers with global buyers for products including illipe butter, virgin coconut oil, and Arenga sugar, creating additional income from standing forests while strengthening the economic incentive to conserve them. Illipe nuts come from native tengkawang trees, which hold practical, cultural, and intergenerational value for Dayak communities and produce abundant harvests only every few years. Forest Wise pays premium prices for these nuts and works with collectors sourcing from more than 200,000 hectares of rainforest. After initially receiving financing from The Reciprocity Fund, Forest Wise graduated to the Beneficial Returns Main Fund, which provided a loan to finance illipe nut purchases during the 2026/27 harvest.