A Grand Design: Food Forest Future
In a recent workshop hosted by Earth Farm and Project Mars, founders Chee and Pop of Project Mars shared their expertise on establishing a food forest. They not only illustrated the core principles of agroforestry but also guided participants through the hands-on creation of one at Earth Farm. Centered on mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, this agroforestry model demonstrates a powerful path toward global food security—while also serving as a catalyst for bringing communities together.
For anyone unfamiliar with the concept of a food forest, it's a sustainable method of food production that mimics the structure and function of a natural forest. By layering edible plants—preferably perennials—across different heights, food forests promote biodiversity, improve soil health, and build long-term resilience. This inspiring workshop may have marked the establishment of Hong Kong’s very first food forest, showcasing a nature-aligned and sustainable approach to urban food growing.
Chee opened the workshop by sharing her pilot project in Penang, where she transformed a once-degraded palm plantation into a thriving, self-sustaining mini ecosystem. By integrating a self-sufficiency model with syntropic agroforestry principles, the resulting food forest now boasts over 100 species—an impressive example of biodiverse, regenerative farmland. While she acknowledged the environmental damage caused by widespread palm oil production, Chee also highlighted the immense potential for renewal and restoration. With ZFPA’s Restore Fund projects now launching in Malaysia, we’re excited to collaborate with farmers and contribute to a growing movement for collective regeneration.
Source: @marsfoodforest
One of Project Mars’s core principles is community - harnessing local knowledge, available resources, and collective action to build a self-sustaining food forest. The workshop’s first official task involved collecting seedlings and plants for transplanting and propagation, with participants joining farmers from Choi Yuen Sun Village to learn about traditional farming practices and identify suitable crops. This was followed by a group exercise to explore additional crop possibilities for future integration, along with their respective layers in the forest system. However, the initial list was deemed insufficiently biodiverse. As Chee emphasized, the goal is to include at least 15 different species per layer to better mimic a natural ecosystem, maximize resource efficiency, and improve resilience against pests, diseases, and unpredictable weather patterns.
With a better understanding of the forest layers and their functions—such as biomass production and sunlight regulation - the real work began. Half of the participants focused on propagating the collected plants into small pots, providing a nurturing environment while the seedlings remained in a fragile state. Meanwhile, the other half prepared the land by mulching and composting using cut grass, food waste, horse manure, and woody materials. Thanks to the strength of collective effort, the foundational stage of establishing the food forest is now complete - laying down nutrient-rich, microbe-dense soil to support a thriving and resilient ecosystem for years to come.
Food forests are undeniably gaining momentum, largely due to their inherent resilience. Projects like Our Wawee Valley, Tribes and Natures Defenders, and The Green Intelligence all incorporate similar agroforestry models in their production farms. The process typically begins with identifying native crops, mapping their corresponding canopy layers in relation to the local landscape, and ensuring a sustained economic yield throughout the various phases of food forest development. As with all regenerative agriculture models, the goal extends beyond soil health and environmental restoration—we aim to strengthen communal identity, preserve indigenous knowledge and traditions, and uphold food sovereignty for future generations.
The Green Intelligence Project
While the workshop only ended the first stage of setting up a food forest, participants went home with the knowledge of a climate-friendly way of growing food, built a like-minded community, and collectively engaged in climate action. In essence, the food forest reflects a resilient society when the community comes together as one and plays their role in the current climate landscape.
Incredible thanks to Earth Farm and Project MARS for hosting such a memorable experience.
(Workshop joined by our Communications Strategist Nick)