Businesspeople are often seen as pursuing maximum profit. Yet some philanthropic entrepreneurs aim for more, building companies that not only seek returns but also empower communities and protect the environment. Done well, such corporate philanthropy can deliver tangible, positive impact.

That spirit was evident at the Filantropi Indonesia Festival 2025 (FIFest2025), which hosted a warm online discussion titled “Synergy in Financing Sustainable Development” on Monday (Aug 4, 2025). An inspiring story from Central Sulawesi drew attention from speakers and listeners alike.

It spotlighted how a three-way collaboration between PT Syngenta Seed Indonesia and Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) has changed the fortunes of thousands of cocoa farmers who had fallen on hard times. Since 2018, the partnership has introduced corn cultivation as a solution to raise incomes and rebuild the local economy.

Bahtiar Manadjeng, Regional Sales Manager at PT Syngenta Seed Indonesia, recounted how the initiative began in 2018 out of concern for cocoa farmers who had lost their livelihoods.

At the outset, farmers had very limited knowledge of corn farming, resulting in yields of just 2–3 tons per hectare—far below major corn centers such as Gorontalo, South Sulawesi, and East Java, which already reached 8–9 tons per hectare. Syngenta and WVI set out to introduce corn as an alternative crop.

“This was deeply concerning, so together with WVI we set out to help farmers who had lost work from cocoa move to a new commodity—corn,” he said.

The turning point came with a demonstration plot (demplot) in Palolo District, Sigi Regency. With guidance, former cocoa farmers planted 4 kilograms of corn seed and harvested nearly 4 tons.

Buoyed by the initial results, Bahtiar projected that “if they plant 1 hectare, looking at the per-kilogram productivity, it would be above 10 tons—because the soil in Palolo, Sigi, Central Sulawesi is very fertile.”

The success story spread quickly, triggering more demonstration plots across various locations and involving thousands of farmers. The impact was profound—not just on harvests but also on farmers’ lives.

“What moves us most is meeting the farmers three to four years later and seeing real change: houses rebuilt in brick, cars parked out front, and farmers saying it’s thanks to corn,” he said.

Beyond agronomic training, the program built a sustainable business ecosystem. Syngenta and WVI established Entrepreneurial Service Points (ESP)—village-level distribution networks supplying seed and fertilizer. They also facilitated training for local entrepreneurs and study tours to corn centers in South Sulawesi.

The collaboration has shown up in Syngenta’s business as well. Corn seed sales rose from Rp300 million in 2018 to Rp18 billion in 2024. The gains not only benefited the company but also drew fresh investment into Central Sulawesi from buyers of dried corn kernels for animal feed.

The program also reaches vulnerable groups, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on justice and equality.

“We also work with farmers with disabilities and with women farmers, training them, for example, to strengthen financial management,” he noted.

Having been involved since the start, Bahtiar expressed pride in the outcomes. “Personally, I find the impact extraordinary—not only for Syngenta’s business but also socially, within communities, and for economic growth.”

As proof of progress, Central Sulawesi’s corn productivity now exceeds 5 tons per hectare, making it the third-largest corn producer in Sulawesi after South Sulawesi and Gorontalo.

This achievement, he said, stems from solid collaboration among Syngenta, WVI, and a broad set of stakeholders.

Strategic Partnerships and Community Empowerment

Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), a philanthropy-focused organization dedicated to community empowerment, applies a strategic approach to support farmers—especially the most vulnerable. WVI currently operates in 15 provinces and 61 regencies/municipalities. Since 2017, it has also been a member of the Indonesian Philanthropy Association (PFI).

To finance its activities, WVI draws on multiple funding sources—from individuals and institutions, including both government and non-government entities. In recent years, WVI has developed a new financing model centered on public–private–civil society partnerships (PPP).

Contributions to Sustainable Development

Fransiscus Welirang, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Indonesian Philanthropy Association, said the business world is not only about seeking profit; it can also contribute to development in surrounding communities—a practice commonly known as philanthropy.

Known as Franky, he explained that the term philanthropy comes from two words: “philo,” meaning love, and “anthropos,” meaning human.

“So, philanthropy can be loosely translated as loving others,” Franky said.

Rachmat Pambudy, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, noted that businesses have the financial capacity and reach to help drive sustainable development.

“Synergy and participation from all stakeholders are needed for sustainable development,” Rachmat said.

Rachman Kurniawan, Environmental Development Pillar Manager at the National SDGs Secretariat, praised the collaboration as a concrete example of good practice that advances the SDGs. “Solid partnerships like this produce good practices with real impact,” he said at the same event (Aug 4, 2025).

Indonesia has integrated the SDGs into its National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and promotes cross-sector partnerships to achieve the 2030 targets.

The Sustainable Development Goals comprise 17 global goals with 169 measurable targets adopted by UN member states in 2015—an agenda for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

According to Rachman, the Syngenta–WVI collaboration touches multiple SDG targets, from poverty alleviation and food security to decent work. He emphasized that Indonesia has made solid progress toward the SDGs, averaging 61%—far above the global average of just 18%.

To accelerate progress toward 2030, the SDGs Secretariat and Bappenas continue to champion a “Decade of Action” through partnerships that involve government, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

“We uphold the principle of ‘no one left behind,’ which means everyone must be involved and benefit,” he added.

To broaden the impact of these good practices, Indonesia’s SDGs Secretariat manages a dashboard repository summarizing more than 700 examples across locations. The goal is to enable replication and drive SDG achievement at scale and sustainably across the country.