Meet I Made Chakra Widia

He was born in 1973 to a family of rice farmers near Ubud, Bali. His early life was deeply rooted in traditional, organic agricultural practices. His upbringing instilled a profound respect for nature and a commitment to sustainable living.

In 2012, Chakra founded the Tri Hita Karana Bali Foundation, named after the Balinese philosophy of balance and harmony amongst people, nature, and spirituality. 

I Made Chakra was born in 1973 to a family of rice farmers near Ubud, Bali. This was the same year that the “Green Revolution” was introduced to Indonesia, and the spread of chemical farming quickly took over Bali.

Chakra grew up in a time when people didn’t need to buy food – instead, they grew and harvested their own food, and learned to hunt or fish. But slowly, chemical farming started to destroy the sustainable and thriving ecosystem of Bali, and Chakra witnessed the rapid deterioration of his beautiful landscape. Protecting his home, restoring the land, and cultivating a healthy environment became his life’s mission.

After completing his studies in the United Kingdom, he spent four years pioneering green tourism abroad and gaining commercial experience in his hometown.

Chakra has devoted himself to developing sustainable agriculture and technology across Indonesia – from tsunami-ravaged Aceh, to the rice fields of Bali, where he pioneered an effective organic System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for nutritious, heritage red rice. Chakra’s knowledge and practical skills range from appropriate technologies to ecological design, training and consulting for international NGOs.