Agricultural commodities, including coffee, cocoa, palm oil, and rubber, play a critical role in the economies of developing countries, generating over USD 50 billion annually in global trade. However, smallholders, who produce more than 80% of coffee and 90% of cocoa worldwide, continue to face persistent challenges, including insecure land tenure, limited access to finance, weak infrastructure, environmental pressures, and institutional constraints. This review synthesises evidence from more than 40 peer-reviewed studies, institutional reports, and international trade databases published between 2015 and 2024 to examine strategies and barriers affecting local commodity development and export performance. The analysis is structured around four key pillars: production systems, development challenges, export strategies, and value-enhancing initiatives, with a focus on human capital development and collective action. Results show that value chain integration is the most effective strategy, followed by trade agreements and public–private partnerships, while certification schemes and agro-processing infrastructure remain underdeveloped. Strong regional specialisation is observed across commodities. The study concludes that sustainable competitiveness depends on coordinated policy reform, improved market access, and long-term investment in farmer education, cooperative governance, and inclusive value chains.
This study explores the application of free translation techniques in rendering Ya Binti, a culturally rich and rhetorically nuanced Arabic text authored by Sheikh Ali al-Tantawi, into Indonesian. Emphasizing meaning over literal form, the translator employs a variety of strategies such as adaptation, modulation, amplification, and reduction to preserve the text's moral and emotional resonance while ensuring its accessibility to modern Indonesian readers. Drawing from the frameworks of Newmark, Nida and Taber, as well as Molina and Albir, this analysis highlights how linguistic creativity and cultural sensitivity work hand-in-hand in the translation process. The results show that free translation, when applied responsibly, not only conveys the original message but also repositions it within a relevant cultural and communicative context. This approach proves particularly effective for literary and religious texts where literal translation may hinder comprehension or distort meaning. The study concludes that free translation serves as a bridge not a barrier between source and target cultures, enabling deeper understanding and wider appreciation of classical Arabic literature in the Indonesian context.
Environmental sustainability is now a central concern in education, and English Language Teaching (ELT) can play a vital role in promoting ecological awareness. This study explores how English teachers in Aceh integrate environmental perspectives and local wisdom into their teaching practice, aligning with the idea of Eco-ELT. Using a quantitative descriptive approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 35 English teachers from various junior and senior high schools across Aceh Province. The questionnaire focused on teachers’ understanding of Eco-ELT, attitudes, the implementation in classroom activities. The results show that teachers demonstrate very strong ecological awareness, reflected in an overall Eco-ELT perception mean of 4.42. Their appreciation of local wisdom as a pedagogical resource is likewise high, with an overall mean score of 4.51, indicating that teachers strongly value the integration of cultural knowledge into English lessons. In terms of classroom practice, teachers reported moderate-to-high implementation of eco-cultural activities, with an average practice score of 3.86, showing that many already incorporate elements such as local stories, folklore, and ecological themes into their lessons, although not yet consistently across all instructional activities. The study concludes that English teachers in Aceh already embody sustainable education values through their cultural context, even without formal policy frameworks. Strengthening teacher training and curriculum development in Eco-ELT can further integrate green-and-local perspectives, nurturing environmentally conscious learners rooted in their own cultural identity.
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major environmental problem due to its high acidity and metal content. This study aims to develop a sustainable alumina-chitosan-modified monolithic activated carbon derived from empty fruit bunches (EFB) for AMD treatment. The synthesis process involved low-temperature pyrolysis (precarbonization) at 110 degrees C, followed by calcination at 600 degrees C, alumina and chitosan modification, and molding into a monolithic form. The resulting material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D surface topography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) analyses. The SEM results revealed a highly porous surface with roughness values ranging from 4800 mu m to 65,600 mu m and porosity between 0.62 and 0.77, corresponding to pore percentages of 61.64-76.50 %. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a gamma-Al2O3 phase, with sharp peaks at 2 theta = 25.4 degrees, 31.6 degrees, 37.8 degrees, and 45.3 degrees, while BJH analysis indicated a mesoporous structure (10-18 & Aring;) and total pore volume of 0.0078 cm3/g. The novelty of this study lies in integrating alumina and chitosan within a monolithic carbon matrix, improving both mechanical stability and adsorption potential. Overall, the EFB-derived composite exhibits strong structural integrity and enhanced surface reactivity, demonstrating high potential as a sustainable and efficient adsorbent for AMD remediation.
Local wisdom offers deep cultural and ecological values that can guide modern language education toward sustainability. This study investigates English teachers’ beliefs and readiness in integrating local wisdom as a pathway to Eco-ELT. Using a quantitative descriptive design, data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 35 English teachers from various junior and senior high schools across Aceh Province. The instrument explored two main variables: teachers’ beliefs about the role of local wisdom in Eco-ELT and their readiness to implement it in classroom practice. The findings reveal that most teachers (85%) strongly believe that local wisdom provides relevant and meaningful contexts for developing ecological literacy through English learning. They view traditional values, local folklore, and community-based environmental practices as powerful tools for fostering sustainability awareness among students. However, the results also indicate that only 63% of teachers feel ready to apply these ideas consistently due to limited access to teaching materials, training, and curricular support. The study concludes that teachers’ strong beliefs serve as the roots of transformation in language education, while improving their readiness through professional development and resource support becomes the route toward achieving sustainable Eco-ELT practices in Aceh.
