Arconesia: The Most Favorite Social Enterprise at Pikiran Terbaik Negeri

Arconesia has been named the most favorite social enterprise in the Pikiran Terbaik Negeri program, bringing its innovative oil palm-watermelon intercropping project to the spotlight.
The Program Pikiran Terbaik Negeri (PTN) initiative, organized by the State-Owned Enterprises of The Republic of Indonesia (BUMN) Foundation in collaboration with Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN), is a social enterprise competition designed to identify, nurture, and develop entrepreneurs capable of creating meaningful social and environmental impacts.
Out of approximately 1,000 social enterprises from across Indonesia that submitted their proposals, 40 were shortlisted for a due diligence round. From this, 20 enterprises, including Arconesia, were awarded a share of a total grant worth IDR 3 billion, along with training on impact measurement and access to strategic BUMN networks.
These 20 finalists then competed in a Grand Pitching event for additional grant. Arconesia stood out as the most favorite social enterprise, earning the highest audience rating during the pitching session.
Arconesia’s flagship project in this program is the oil palm-watermelon intercropping initiative in Fajar Baru Village, North Bengkulu. The majority of farmers in this village are oil palm smallholder currently undergoing replanting, a process that leaves them without income for three years as they wait for the new oil palms to mature. By introducing watermelon intercropping on replanting land, farmers can secure alternative income, with watermelon ready to harvest in just 60-65 days.
Under the PTN program, approximately 10 hectares of oil palm land were intercropped with watermelon to serve as a demonstration plot for local farmers, encouraging them to adopt this system.
In addition to the demonstration farm, Arconesia implemented several supporting activities, including farmer training on intercropping techniques, farmer field schools, a farmers’ market during the harvest, and the preparation of an impact report.
The program aims to train 50 farmers, achieve a 30-50% increase in income for intercropping farmers, and empower 30 women by involving them in watermelon farming activities such as planting, pollinating, and harvesting.
Arconesia’s commitment to farmer empowerment through intercropping does not end with this program. Arconesia plans to connect farmers in Fajar Baru with its financial partners for better access to funding to implement oil palm intercropping system. Farmers will also be linked to reliable offtakers to ensure market access. Moreover, experienced agronomists will continue to provide guidance to these farmers. Through these efforts, Arconesia hopes to mainstream oil palm intercropping systems in Indonesia and inspire widespread adoption of sustainable oil palm practices.