Small farmers on Nias work on agricultural businesses with various challenges; an uncertain climate, geographical isolation, a growing number of plant diseases, increasingly barren land, limited skills, very limited capital, and an impartial market. On the other hand, big companies try to provide solutions by offering expensive and environmentally-damaging products, which reduce the independence of farmers and threaten the sustainability of the ecosystem.

In 2011, Yayasan Holi'ana'a opened our Livelihood Training Centre (LTC), a working 3-hectare organic farm with accommodation facilities for 60 people. Women, young people and marginalised smallholders are trained in sustainable agricultural frameworks, such as organic farming methods, SRI rice and secondary crop cultivation, as well as small business and leadership skills, helping to generate alternative income sources and produce a new generation of local leaders. So far YH has aided more than 5,000 farmers and hopes to continue to be a friend of farmers forever.