Muadzam Shah, Pahang | 15 January 2026
On 15 January, we gathered 32 Orang Asli chicken farmers from Rompin and Bera in Muadzam Shah for an appreciation and sharing day rooted in reflection and resilience. This community gathering brought together farmers, our field team and marketing leads to recognise the steady dedication behind Orang Asli chicken farming. It was a vital opportunity to reflect on the journey of Moringa Chicken Malaysia.
The Moringa Chicken initiative has been one of our most demanding projects. . Built alongside indigenous farmers in Malaysia, and driven by constant learning and adaptation, the initiative embodies what it means to build community resilience through sustainable farming. What began as a response to food insecurity has matured into a community-based farming programme that continues to teach us difficult, yet necessary lessons.
A day of appreciation with our Orang Asli chicken farmers
The day opened with a light ice-breaking session, the Osom game, creating space for connection and fun before moving into deeper conversations.
As the song “Sama-Sama” was called out, the room joined in almost instinctively:
Sama-sama gunung didaki,
Sama-sama turun ke lembah sepi,
Suka duka bersama dirasai.
In that moment, the meaning of sama-sama felt less like a lyric and more like a reminder that this journey can only be sustained when we move through it together.
Our team also prepared a video documenting how the marketing journey has progressed over time from early outreach efforts to the gradual expansion into restaurants. The video offered farmers insights of where their chickens go after leaving the farm, and how their daily work connects to the wider market.
Dr. Teh shared reflections on our journey, highlighting the operational and financial challenges that have shaped this initiative.
“I believe the Moringa Chicken project is one of the most significant and challenging initiatives for the Global Peace team. It was truly a ‘mission impossible’, an extraordinary mission.”
Dr. Teh
Batin Mat Noheng followed with reflections representing the community, expressing appreciation for consistent engagement while acknowledging the realities of raising chickens in rural settings.
Chung Siu reminds the farmers of the importance of coop hygiene, chicken care, and discipline necessary for high quality free-range chicken farming.
Nicholas closed the session by sharing updates on market access and demand for free-range chicken in Malaysia.
Where did it begin? A crisis that sparked change
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, its impact continues to shape our work. 4 years ago, the crisis revealed deep vulnerabilities in food security for rural Orang Asli communities. Disrupted incomes and fragile livelihoods made it clear that access to affordable, nutritious protein could not be taken for granted.
The Moringa Chicken project was launched to address these gaps, providing not only food for Orang Asli families, but a dignity-based livelihood programme rooted in ownership and long-term sustainability. Chicken farming was initially chosen due to high interest among the community and strong market demand, the reality on the ground soon proved far more complex.
The reality on the ground, from day old chicks to market ready chickens
Implementation began with something deceptively simple, sending day-old chicks into villages across Rompin and Bera. Sustaining the process required continuous training, close monitoring, and patient relationship-building.
Farmers learned about coop hygiene, feeding practices including Moringa supplementation, disease prevention, and daily care; all of which are key components of sustainable chicken farming in Malaysia. Our team learned to adapt technical guidance to local rhythms and constraints. Some farmers brought years of prior experience, others were starting from scratch.
“This project has been a deeply valuable experience for me. Before this, I ate chicken, but I had no idea how to actually care for them. I have learned so much through this journey.”
Nasaruddin (farmer)
“I am very happy because over the last few months, I was able to sell more than 470 kilograms of chicken.”
Zaki (farmer)
Solutions emerged through practice. One of our farmer, Azhari began turning the sawdust bedding almost daily, even sourcing materials himself to ensure proper hygiene. Nenek Alan and Batin Mat Noheng established a safe free-range area, quarantining sick birds and treating them with traditional herbs. Over time, the chickens themselves became indicators of progress – appearing calm, responsive, and unafraid, all signs of a truly healthy environment.
Marketing posed another challenge. Moringa Chicken is priced higher than conventional “white chicken” due to its free-range rearing, longer maturity and antibiotics and hormone-free. At times, supply exceeded demand, at others, demand outpaced capacity, not in overall volume alone, but in specific requests for particular chicken parts, which required careful balancing across orders. Our teamlearned to navigate both realities.
According to Chung Siu, our programme lead “Early setbacks particularly in processing quality were treated as learning grounds. The mindset remained consistent, failure is not a stopping point, only a signal that improvement is needed”
Strengthening the value chain, and going beyond farming
As production grew, so did the need for stronger post-harvest handling and market readiness. Since 2024, marketing and processing have taken on a larger role particularly as the Malaysia–UN SDG Trust Fund supported the scaling up of our Orang Asli chicken farming project. The establishment of a dedicated kitchen and packing facility marked a significant step forward for ethical food production in Malaysia.
Where chickens were once processed in open areas with limited equipment, the programme now operates with blast freezers, hanging racks, and cutting machines. These upgrades allow for proper freezing, hygiene control, and consistent quality. The facility has also created income opportunities for Orang Asli women who plays vital role in cleaning and packaging.
Today, Moringa Chicken Malaysia supplies fresh-packed chicken to customers, restaurants and schools, linking Orang Asli farmers in Pahang to more reliable markets. The response has been overwhelming; we have received glowing customer testimonials and hosted farm visits for restaurant owners—including a Michelin-starred fine dining chef.
What gave us confidence to continue
Some of the strongest affirmations come quietly.
One of our customers, Ms Pek, shared that although her daughter has a long-standing chicken allergy, they are now able to consume Moringa Chicken and have since become regular weekly customers. For farmers and the team, this was a powerful reassurance that care and quality truly matter.
Batin Mat Noheng (a well respected leader from Bera) expressed gratitude for the initiative, (Batin is the traditional title for an Orang Asli village chief) acknowledging consistent updates and engagement from the Global Peace team. His hope was simple, as long as the chickens can be marketed, farmers will continue producing with commitment.
During the sharing our farmer Pakcik Haluddin, recounted a visit by the Bera Veterinary team to his chicken coop. He shared that the vet was highly impressed, remarking that the maintenance practices observed under Global Peace’s programme. were among the best they had seen for small scale chicken farming projects in Malaysia.
A living programme and still rising
Several years into implementation, the Moringa Chicken initiative continues to evolve. While challenges remain, so do our aspirations. Chung Siu holds a long-term dream of bringing Moringa Chicken to Singapore, one of the most stringent food-regulation markets in the region. More broadly, our vision is simple, to enable people to eat healthier, more nutritious chicken, while ensuring dignity and purpose for the Orang Asli farmers.
The work continues, and so does our commitment to rising through it together.
Note:
The progress of the Moringa Chicken programme has been made possible through the support of committed partners and funders. As we continue to strengthen production, processing, and market access for our Orang Asli farmers, we welcome conversations with funders interested in supporting this work.
For partnership or funding enquiries, please contact us at info@globalpeace.org.my
Building resilient communities, one village at a time!
