Description
The Government of Indonesia strives to reduce inequality by encouraging investment projects and implementing agrarian reform and social forestry programs. In the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2015–2019, the government set a target to allocate 12.7 million hectares of forest for management and utilization through social forestry schemes, such as Community Forests (HKm), Village Forests (HD), Community Plantation Forests (HTR), Customary Forests, and Forestry Partnerships. Additionally, the government committed to implementing agrarian reform through land legalization and distribution, with 9 million hectares allocated for Agrarian Reform Land (TORA), half of which comes from forest areas.
To expedite the permitting process to meet social forestry targets, the government issued Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. P.83/2016 on Social Forestry. This regulation unifies various social forestry policies into a single ministerial regulation, streamlining the permitting process. Between 2012 and 2014, KEMITRAAN facilitated proposals and the establishment of social forestry work areas covering 95,464 hectares across 4 provinces and 14 districts.
In this project, KEMITRAAN leverages its experience from previous social forestry programs to design solutions for empowering communities that have obtained social forestry permits.
The project aims to increase income and welfare for rural communities, benefiting 3,000 households (12,000 people) who rely on forest resources in three provinces through sustainable, community-based forest business management.
The project includes six core activities:
- Strengthening the capacity of groups and communities to add value to products, increase capital, and expand market access for 10 social forestry business groups.
- Facilitating the development of social forestry business models in program locations.
- Developing best practices for social forestry enterprise development.
- Organizing discussions and workshops to create policy recommendations on social forestry.
- Conducting communication, publication, and campaign activities related to social forestry.
- Monitoring and evaluating the program.
Achievements
Key achievements of this program include:
- Development of Business Plans and Annual Plans for Community Forest Management in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Four Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS) have been established in each Community Forest (HKm) and Community Plantation Forest (HTR) area.
- Strengthening the institutional capacity of social forestry enterprises and commodity products in Central Lombok through the establishment of production facilities for processed commodities from social forestry areas. An initial survey revealed the potential for cashew nuts in Batu Jangkih, Aik Berik, and Lantan villages. The project facilitated community forest groups in each village to obtain Halal certification for their commodities.
- In Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi, the project facilitated cross-visits for four social forestry business groups to learn about Trigona honey bee cultivation. These visits involved community forest groups from Bulukumba visiting groups in North Luwu, South Sulawesi.
- On the legal front, KEMITRAAN organized a Policy Meeting to strengthen social forestry policies for forestry business development after the legalization of social forestry permits. This meeting was held in collaboration with the Directorate of Social Forestry and Customary Forest Business Development (BUPSHA) at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Donor
Ford Foundation
Implementing Partners
Walhi, AMAN, Sulawesi Community Foundation, FKKM
Project Period
2018 – 2020
Location
East Nusa Tenggara (Sikka), West Nusa Tenggara (Central and North Lombok), South Sulawesi (Bantaeng and Bulukumba)