Eco-Friendly Food & Agriculture Startups in Bali

Picture yourself landing in Bali with warm breeze, lush rice terraces, buzzing motorcycle scooters and instead of just chasing beach clubs, you’re on a mission to explore how this island is painting its food future with green strokes. From high-up in the Ubud terraced fields to the hip streets of Canggu, a wave of eco-conscious food and agriculture startups is quietly transforming how Bali eats and farms. As a traveller and curious wanderer, I found myself drawn into this world: the farms, the cafés, the vertical green towers, and the local folks making it happen. And yes, I did it all while staying connected seamlessly via ORA eSIM, so you’ll spot how travel and green business go hand in hand.

Why Bali and Why Now

Bali isn’t just a postcard of beaches and temples, it’s becoming a hub for sustainability-minded entrepreneurs. The island’s cultural philosophy of Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali (roughly: caring for nature and culture so Bali can prosper) sets the tone for enterprises working with nature, not against it. With tourism alone accounting for a large part of the economy, there’s rising interest in diversifying, one way is through agriculture, food systems, and circular economy models. And as a traveller, you’ll see signs of that shift, from cafés sourcing microgreens grown metres away, to resorts composting food waste, to vertical farms in urban settings.

Here are a few standout examples of what's happening on the ground in Bali, visitations encouraged, camera ready.

Magi Farm – Food-Waste to Fertilizer

Based in Gianyar, Bali, Magi Farm uses black soldier fly larvae (yes, maggots) to convert food waste into organic fertiliser and animal feed. They serve hotels, households and events.

What I loved: I visited a hotel kitchen that partners with them, leftover vegetable peelings become larvae feed; the output becomes landscaping mulch and fish food. Practical, local, circular. As a traveller, if you’re staying in a resort in Seminyak or Uluwatu, ask if they partner with Magi Farm, then you feel like your holiday lunch is part of something bigger.

Greens Bali – Indoor & Vertical Farming

In the heart of Bali, Greens Bali is growing microgreens, baby kale, and similar plants in a vertically stacked, controlled environment; they're not relying on traditional paddy fields.

What’s remarkable: they can produce year-round, close to restaurants in Seminyak and Canggu, reducing transport, spoilage, and pesticide use. For the traveller visitor who pops into a farm tour, this gives insight into the future of food in Bali.

Astungkara Way – Regenerative Rice Farming

This one takes you into the countryside. Based near Abiansemal, Bali, Astungkara Way is reinventing rice farming with regenerative practices and offering multi-day trail-walks through fields, forests and farms, connecting the dots between food, tradition and ecology. 

As a travelling foodie exploring Bali, imagine waking early and walking through a rice terrace, helping a farmer, then having breakfast on the terrace side, talking about soil health, ducks and biopesticides. That’s what this offers.

If you’re planning a visit, 2026 has interesting opportunities:

• The International Conference on Soil Carbon Sequestration and Sustainable Farming (ICSCSSF) is scheduled on 2 February 2026 in Bali. 
• The International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ICSARD) will be held on 23 January 2026 in Bali.

What that means for you: if you’re visiting Bali in early 2026, you might time your trip around these events, networking with startups, farmers, researchers and bring your travel-connectivity tool so you can attend hybrid sessions, stream talks, connect with local stakeholders in real time.

Why This Matters for Travel, Food & Community

When you walk into a café in Canggu and ask where the greens come from and the answer is “grown 5 km away in a vertical farm” you’re engaging in a story of place, innovation and community. Here are three angles I found especially compelling:

• Health & soil regeneration: Traditional intensive agriculture depletes soil; these startups are moving toward methods that rebuild soil, use less chemical input, and make food healthier.
• Community resilience: Bali’s reliance on tourism means shocks (hello 2020) hit hard. By boosting agriculture, local farms and food systems, the island adds diversity to its economy.
• Urban-agriculture possibility: Farms no longer have to be in remote fields; vertical farms, indoor hydroponics, circular food-waste loops bring agriculture into the urban mix and the guest-experience loop.

And if you’re travelling with just one SIM and want to switch networks, data, stay connected with work or adventure, ORA eSIM gives you flexibility: travel, roam, switch, stay online. Because yes, you’ll want to Instagram that farm visit, log your café stop, zoom into a webinar session.

Tips from My Experience

• Schedule a farm tour: Reach out to Greens Bali or similar and ask for a short visit (many are open to showing guests).
• Ask your resort: “Do you process food waste locally?” If yes, great sign (and might lead you to Magi Farm story).
• Visit a regenerative farm: In the hills around Abiansemal, you’ll find rice-terrace farms doing old-meets-new.
• Be connected: Whether you’re in a rice field or in a small café, make sure roaming or network signal is strong. 
• Time your visit if you care about food-agri events: January–February 2026 in Bali is promising.

FAQs

What kinds of food/ag-startups are active in Bali?
From indoor vertical farms (microgreens, leafy greens) to food-waste conversion businesses (hotel waste to larvae to fertiliser) to regenerative rice farms, Bali’s landscape has a growing mix.

Can travellers visit these farms and learn something?
Yes! Many farms welcome visits or tours (especially if you contact ahead). Some also offer workshops or trail-walk agritourism experiences.

How does connectivity/travel fit into this story?
Good question! Because you might travel to rural areas, high-tech farms, or attend hybrid events, having a reliable mobile data connection matters. Using ORA eSIM means you can stay connected seamlessly without changing SIM cards across networks or losing access when roaming.

Why is Bali focusing on agriculture if it’s a tourism island?
The local economy is seeking diversification and sustainability. Agriculture offers a way to add value, reduce import-dependence for food, increase resilience, embed sustainability into everyday business and tourism. For example, the technology and startup ecosystem around sustainability is growing.

What should I bring/prepare for a farm visit?
Comfortable clothes, sun/hide shade (farm tours often outdoor or semi outdoor), water bottle (choose refillable to stay eco-friendly). Make sure your mobile connection works. Bring some curiosity and respect, ask questions about soil, waste, seasonality.