Arenga Sugar Palms grow in South East Asia, and are particularly abundant in Indonesia where the wetter regions provide ideal growing conditions, especially at higher elevations. We started our operation in Manembo Village in the remote and fertile volcanic mountains of Northern Sulawesi, the traditional heartland of the Sugar Palm. Hence the business was named, C.V. Manembo Aren. Having visited and studied a socially-based Palm Sugar project, we were inspired to create our enterprise to connect small-scale tappers with export markets … seeing an opportunity to improve cooking efficiency, health, hygiene and  forest livelihoods in the process. Working in landscapes which are prolific in mature Sugar Palms, we built a pilot factory in Manembo Village, and established a formal working relationship with a forestry co-operative in Gorontalo Province.