Yayasan Sweet Potato Project

In August 2020, a team initially made up of hotel staff working as volunteers turned two plots of hotel and restaurant land in West Bali into two fully functional farms across the island. The idea was to reconnect the community with agriculture and provide access to food that’s locally-grown, more nutritious, and better for the planet. 

The method of farming that Desa Potato Head uses is called syntropic farming – a system that mimics the cycles of nature, brings together plants that inherently support each other, and is used around the world to regenerate developed or degraded land. 

Of the produce grown from the Sweet Potato Project, all of it is donated to the local community. A portion is distributed to Potato Head staff and their families and some are delivered to those who are COVID positive or in isolation, with difficulty accessing food.  

The rest of the produce is turned into plant-based Nasi Bungkus – a rice dish wrapped in banana leaves. The Nasi Bungkus is given to the most vulnerable members of Bali’s community including orphanages on the island and local waste collectors.

The Sweet Potato Project created jobs for the local community and Potato Head staff, while Bali’s hospitality industry was in lockdown over the past year and Desa Potato Head was forced to close.