Coconut Husk Transforms Conflict: Simeulue Farmers and Long-Tailed Monkeys Find Coexistence

Farmers in Batu Ralang Village, Teupah Selatan District, Simeulue Regency, Aceh, once viewed long-tailed monkeys as enemies, destroying their primary source of livelihood: coconuts. However, their perspective is shifting. The conflict isn't gone, but a simple idea—transforming the coconuts damaged by Macaca fascicularis fusca into a new economic resource—is paving the way for coexistence. The monkeys' damage to coconuts could result in losses of up to IDR 4.1 million (approximately $270 USD) per month for farmers. Mitra Rofendi (31), a coconut farmer and manager of a newly established coconut husk handicraft production house since 2024, directly experiences the primates' disturbances. "Since we've been able to utilize coconut husks, the impact of these losses has begun to decrease," he stated. Rofendi, who is also the head of the SIMCO Farmers Group, acknowledged that before this new approach, some residents chose to clear their gardens to prevent monkeys from nesting in the bushes. Others, however, took more extreme measures. "Some would drive them away with violence, even though that's not good because they are also part of the ecosystem." Through training, the community now processes coconut husks into cocopeat for planting media, cocofiber for industrial needs, and cocobristle. They also create various handicrafts such as bags, flower pots, sandals, paintings, and calligraphy. "The women are making various creations...", Rofendi added. What was previously burned or discarded is now becoming a source of additional income for farmers, simultaneously opening up space for coexistence between residents and long-tailed monkeys, which often descend into residential areas.