By FOLUR Project Indonesia & United in Diversity Foundation
As Indonesia works to strengthen food security, restore landscapes, and respond to climate change, one thing is clear: these challenges are deeply connected, and so are the solutions. Addressing them requires a different kind of leadership: people who can see the bigger picture, work across sectors, and bring others along.
Through the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Program, led by the World Bank with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the FOLUR Indonesia project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is advancing a systems leadership approach to tackle these interconnected challenges. Over the past 14 months, the Systems Leadership Capacity Building (SLCB) program has brought together 54 participants from across Indonesia—government officials, farmers, academics, civil society, young professionals, and private sector actors—from Central Aceh, Mandailing Natal, Sanggau, Luwu, and Sorong.
A Diverse Collective for Systems Change
Throughout the program, participants were encouraged to step back from day-to-day problem solving and look at the bigger picture—understanding how different parts of the system connect, and where change can have the most impact. For many, this shift in perspective was deeply personal.
“I’ve come to see that even the most complex problems can be mapped to reveal their roots and connections—real change begins when we listen and start caring for the environment from home.” said Ida Yunisia, a farmer and agricultural extension worker from Luwu, South Sulawesi.
This mindset, which is grounded in awareness, collaboration, and seeing the whole system, was not only discussed in the classroom but also applied in practice.
In early 2025, stewardship of the FOLUR Project transitioned from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs to the newly established Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs. This moment became a living lesson in adaptive leadership. Through an Onboarding and Alignment Program facilitated by the United in Diversity (UID) foundation, seven new officials joined seamlessly into the cohort—illustrating that systemic change is possible when inclusion and continuity go hand in hand.
“The transition showed us that change doesn’t have to divide; everyone moved forward together,” reflected Frans Sugiarta, UID facilitator.
Awareness-Based Systems Change in Practice
Rooted in approaches that include Theory U, a theory developed by Otto Scharmer, a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Presencing Institute and its u-school for Transformation, which blends systems thinking, innovation, and leading change, with awareness practices, the program guided participants through five phases—Foundation, Sensing, Deep Dive, Onboarding, and Prototyping.
Rather than focusing only on tools or technical analysis, the programme encouraged participants to slow down, listen, and observe patterns within the system before taking action.
It brought together thinking, doing, and feeling approach, helping participants think more systemically, work more collaboratively, and lead with empathy. Through deep listening and open dialogue with key stakeholders, participants strengthened their leadership capacity, learned to respond more creatively to challenges, and moved away from reactive decision-making toward solutions that support a shared and sustainable future.
Prototyping Change from the Ground Up
The training journey moved from theory into practice through a “prototyping” phase, where participants worked together to design small-scale, practical experiments intended to solve real-world problems they identified in their own regions.
The groups focused on identifying leverage points—specific areas where a small change could lead to a big impact. During the training, discussions and outcomes focused on:
- Sustainable Commodities: Developing better ways to manage coffee, palm oil, cocoa, and rice production.
- Local Governance: Creating innovative ways for local governments to support sustainable farming.
- Community Collaboration: Strengthening the value chain and preserving local food systems through better teamwork at the local level.
These “prototypes” are “seeds of possibility” that allow leaders to test what actually works in a complex environment before scaling up.
Next Steps: Sustaining the Momentum
“True transformation doesn’t end with a workshop—it begins when systems awareness becomes part of how we work every day,” said Shobi Lawalata, UID Learning Director.
As the SLCB journey concludes, the initiative is shifting focus toward three strategic directions to ensure these collaborative efforts continue to thrive within Indonesia‘s FOLUR ecosystem:
- Ongoing Systems Coaching: Rather than ending with the workshops, the process will transition into a coaching phase. This support is designed to help participants navigate complex challenges and keep their shared goals aligned as they move from training to daily operations.
- Connecting with the Center of Excellence (CoE): The initiative aims to strengthen ties with CoE in the FOLUR Indonesia intervention areas. These CoEs will provide the necessary environment to further refine and test the practical ideas and “prototypes” developed during the training.
- Global Knowledge Exchange: By documenting how systems leadership works in diverse local contexts, the project seeks to enrich global learning and demonstrate how these models can be adapted in other countries.
SLCB initiative also reflects UNDP’s commitment to fostering adaptive governance and multi-stakeholder collaboration—critical for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and building resilient food systems worldwide.
“We cannot transform food systems by working in silo. It takes leadership that unites people, builds trust, and turns our shared vision into real impact. Through the SLCB initiative, UNDP is fostering that essential collaboration to ensure our shared vision delivers real impact,” said Ratna Kusuma Sari, National Project Manager – FOLUR Project Indonesia.
From the coffee highlands of Gayo to the agricultural lands of Sorong, Indonesia’s FOLUR Systems Leadership Capacity Building journey has planted seeds of awareness and collaboration. These seeds—rooted in shared intention—will continue to grow into an ecosystem of leaders who nurture the earth, empower communities, and reimagine a sustainable food future for all.
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