Dishing the dirt Ep. 4 with Tanguy Yu
Following the end of our very first project outside of Hong Kong and GBA, we welcome Tanguy Yu, the co-founder of Astungkara Way, to join our latest Dishing the dirt series. From running a technology start-up to assembling sustainable farmers in Bali, Tanguy’s love for nature strengthens his commitment to scale regenerative rice across the island and beyond. Joined by our executive director, Peggy Chan, they reflected on the project takeaways and the aspirations for future rice farming.
Astungkara Way is a social enterprise that cultivates a regenerative future for both travel and farming, reconnecting visitors with the land and nature through exploring the beauty of Bali and learning about farming. Zero Foodprint Asia has supported Astungkara Way for over two years to scale regenerative rice farming in Bali through Complex Rice Systems (CRS). The first phase of the project focused on demonstrating the benefits of CRS to farmers of the community with the help of reNature; the Astungkara Way team led the second phase, hosting additional trainings and capacity-building sessions to expand the movement.
“I really do think that plants are the most evolved and magical beings on this planet. You know, they were here long, long before us, and they will be here long, long after us.”
Read all about their conversation!
Making Regenerative Nasi (Rice) Accessible to All
In this competitive market with countless choices, where does regenerative rice stand? Tanguy’s aspiration for regenerative rice is not for it to end up on rice people’s plates, but a staple that is accessible and affordable to all inhabitants of the island, and perhaps for the world as well in the future.
In Indonesia, conventional rice sells for around 16,000 IDR per kilogram, while organic rice ranges between 25,000–27,000 IDR - a considerable price gap that makes sustainable rice less accessible for many. At Astungkara Way, regenerative rice is priced at 20,000 IDR per kilogram, covering production costs while remaining relatively affordable. Tests have also shown that this rice contains higher levels of antioxidants and fiber, offering added health benefits. With more consumers seeking nutritious options, regeneratively grown rice presents a compelling choice for a daily staple.
As opposed to organic products, which are often targeted at higher-brow demographics, Astungkara Way’s positioning allows a larger population to enjoy and learn about nature-friendly production methods without a cost barrier, and welcomes everyone to participate in regenerative consumption. Tanguy's goal is to replace conventional rice.
Mitigating Farmers’ Risks and Finding the Right Partners
The organic movement illustrated why farmers could not bear the cost on their own for a true transformation, and it requires the entire food value chain to engage in this change. Similar to Zero Foodprint Asia’s nature in de-risking farmers’ transition period, Astungkara Way initiated a prepayment system for farmers willing to test out the complex rice systems in the first year and a half, paying upfront what they were getting from farming conventionally. Since the CRS was still very novel, the idea was to provide a very low-risk shift for farmers.
After the project’s first phase, the agroeconomic outcomes were evident: farmers maintained their yields under the CRS system, with steady increases after two cycles. They also boosted revenue by selling ducks and cultivating additional crops around the paddies, while reducing expenses by cutting back on chemical inputs. Tanguy noted that the team has since moved away from the prepayment model, both because CRS has already proven more effective than industrial methods, and because the system tended to frame participation as merely an economic safety net rather than fostering genuine engagement with farmers.
For Astungkara Way, it is essential that farmers join with the spirit of stewardship driven by a genuine desire to restore the land. This ethos strongly aligns with ZFPA’s values as well. Whether we are reviewing Restore Fund applications or building partnerships, success depends on a shared belief in the regenerative movement. Without this alignment, the message risks being diluted and implementation may lack authenticity. While challenges and missteps are inevitable, it is our collective perseverance and commitment that ultimately lead to meaningful and inspiring outcomes, just as we have seen across all our Restore projects.
Save the Soil, Biodiversity, and WATER
In our final project update, we highlighted the ecological benefits of Complex Rice Systems (CRS), such as increased soil organic carbon, greater biodiversity, and improved water quality. Among these, water purification emerged as an unexpected yet significant outcome.
In Bali, farms draw their water from the Subak system, a traditional irrigation network that flows through and is shared by multiple villages and fields. Along the way, these streams can become contaminated, often collecting waste as they pass through populated areas. To assess CRS’s impact on water quality, the team tested samples at both the entry and exit points of the farming community, screening for heavy metals including mercury, lead, boron, and cadmium.
The results were concerning: inlet water was already found to contain double the permissible levels for safe human consumption. At the outlets of conventional farms, heavy metal concentrations doubled again. These contaminated streams continue downstream, ultimately feeding into other communities and, eventually, into the food consumed by both locals and visitors.
In contrast, water samples from the outlets of regenerative rice farms showed almost no traces of heavy metals. How was this possible? According to Tanguy, CRS farmers installed a water filtration basin at the entry point of their fields, using biochar and traditional plants known for cleansing waterways, such as water hyacinth and vetiver grass. Combined with the presence of ducks, Azolla, border plants, and composting, these practices enable CRS farmers to cultivate rice that is both safer and healthier.
The partner farms of Astungkara Way embody the essence of the regenerative agriculture movement—merging indigenous wisdom with modern science to address climate change while producing more nutritious and trustworthy food.
“We are restoring biodiversity, soil carbon, water quality, and improving livelihoods. So, yeah, why isn't all rice farmed this way?”
Youth Participation and the Future
It is often said that young people are the pillars of the future—and with an influx of passionate interns and team members, Astungkara Way has no shortage of these pillars. Under Tanguy’s leadership, the team is driving outreach programs, capacity-building sessions, and collaborative research with a local university to scale Complex Rice Systems (CRS) in Bali and showcase their global potential. With the team expanding and its average age steadily dropping, the future of regenerative rice looks increasingly promising.
“Our team is very young, and we’ve witnessed an incredible level of enthusiasm. They feel empowered—part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”
The wider agriculture industry, however, faces a sobering challenge: an aging workforce. In Bali, the average farmer is 60 years old, underscoring the urgency of drawing younger generations into farming. Tanguy emphasized that this requires creating a new model of agriculture - one that is not only purposeful but also financially viable. Farmers must be able to earn beyond minimum wage while contributing to land restoration. CRS farmers are already on track to meet both conditions, proving that regenerative farming can be both economically rewarding and deeply meaningful. At the same time, it calls for a broader societal shift—recognizing farming as a respected and desirable career path, a shift in perspective that we all need to reconcile with.
Final Thoughts
Although the Astungkara Way project has officially come to an end, it has a special place in our hearts with many treasured memories and profound learnings. Tanguy’s ambition for the future of rice is truly admirable, and we expect nothing less. He ended the conversation with an important and wholesome note – despite the urgency for change, we should not be motivated by it or its fear, but rather our inherent affection for the planet and each other.
“For me, that has been actually the most beautiful learning lesson of this whole journey, is just keep doing it, but out of care and love, not out of fear.”
Heartfelt thanks to Tanguy for joining us, and also to the Astungkara Way team for the past 2+ years for making regenerative rice a reality.