Will no One Plant a Tree in Indonesia? Yes, the Poor will, and on Islands not known for Their Forests: One Such is Timor

In this paper we explore an innovative approach to poverty reduction by the introduction of an agro-forestry variant of sustainable agricultural land technology among the rural farming population of an upland district on the western half Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara. The approach was devised by an obscure and previously unknown nongovernmental organisation which has now won world-wide recognition and awards. The element of time is introduced. Measures adopted – short term, medium term and long term – for detecting and addressing various aspects and causes of rural poverty are discussed. The technique proved so successful that 8.5 million trees have been planted even though tree planting was only a minor component of the approach.