The Living Lab Farming Project is an ambitious pilot initiative designed to embody the principles of permaculture and a communal Integrated Farming System. Its core mission is to restore soil and ecosystem health, empower local farmers, and strengthen long-term food security. More than a traditional farm, it functions as a living laboratory a dynamic space where farmers, researchers, community members, and students can co-create solutions, experiment with sustainable practices, and observe the direct impact of regenerative farming techniques.

At its foundation, the project integrates organic crop cultivation, composting, agroforestry, and small-scale livestock management into a communal, interdependent system. This closed-loop model minimizes waste and maximizes natural resources: food scraps and crop residues are transformed into compost or animal feed, reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers, while livestock manure is converted into biogas for clean energy and bio-fertilizers to improve soil health.

Conventional farming practices soil degradation, monocropping, excessive use of chemical inputs, and poor land management have left farmland depleted and vulnerable to erosion. Climate change intensifies these problems, making agriculture both a contributor to and a victim of global instability. In Bali, droughts, floods, and unpredictable weather patterns are already threatening yields. Many smallholder farmers remain trapped in cycles of low income, debt, and limited access to training or capital for sustainable approaches.

This project responds through collaboration. By applying permaculture design, it will rebuild soil organic matter, increase water retention, and enhance biodiversity. Through training, cooperative structures, and regenerative practices, it will empower local farmers with knowledge and tools to transition toward resilience. The initiative also seeks to diversify income streams through value-added products, seed sharing, eco-tourism, and educational workshops.

Ultimately, the Living Lab Farming Project is about more than growing food it is about growing knowledge, collaboration, and resilience. By blending traditional ecological wisdom with modern science, it aims to become a hub for training and a model for village based farming. Over time, this system could evolve into a regional network of integrated farms, each contributing to a resilient food web and a circular economy. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate that farming can be profitable, regenerative, and community centered a way of living with the land that restores both ecosystems and livelihoods.