There was a significant cumulative increase in the first five years, but we still need to finalize (the license) for an additional eight million hectares
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Highlighting the social forestry program in Indonesia that covers an area 4.2 million hectares as of September 2020, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) recalled that 8.5 million hectares additionally were required to achieve the program’s target.

During a limited meeting on Tuesday at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Jokowi stated that the government had targeted to issue the license for 12.7 million hectares of land by 2024 to be included in the social forestry program.

"There was a significant cumulative increase in the first five years, but we still need to finalize (the license) for an additional eight million hectares," the president noted.

The head of state also urged the Environment and Forestry Affairs Ministry to offer mentoring to farmers involved in the program to create follow-up programs.

Thus, the people can hone their capabilities to manage the social forestry land that would offer them economic benefits.

"People living around the forest will have the capability to manage the forest, explore the business aspect of the social forestry program that includes agro-forestry, ecotourism, agro-silvo-pastoral, bioenergy, non-wood products, and small-scale log business. These can improve the people's welfare, but they will need mentoring," Jokowi affirmed.

In 2014, President Joko Wikodo had announced a project that enabled forest-dependent communities to access 12.7 million hectares of forest through social forestry permits in response to inequities in Indonesia’s forestry industry.

These permits fundamentally turn over control of some parts of the forest to local communities. Communities are then able to utilize this land to establish forest enterprises, such as ecotourism ventures or sustainable production of goods, such as bamboo or rattan. This helps poor communities to develop sustainable and independent income sources.
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Translator: Indra A Pribadi, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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