"The role of Social Forestry here is the production of nutritious commodities," Secretary of Social Forestry at the ministry, Enik Eko Wati, remarked during a discussion followed from here on Wednesday.
Out of the 8.3 million hectares of designated Social Forestry areas across the country, many are utilized for food production or non-timber forest products (NTFPs).
Food crops and fruits are among the most common commodities produced by Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS), which currently number 15,754.
"KUPS act as suppliers of nutritious local food ingredients and promote organic and healthy agriculture in forest areas that can enter the MBG program supply chain," she said.
She noted that forest areas managed by communities through Social Forestry can serve as alternative food sources, and KUPS play a role in strengthening the food supply chain in various regions.
According to joint analysis by the Forestry Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry, out of the 8.3 million hectares of Social Forestry land, around 1.9 million hectares are suitable for the development of agroforestry, which combines forestry trees and food crops.
For this year, the government targets the planting of upland or dryland rice on 892.34 thousand hectares, 389.4 thousand hectares of which are within Social Forestry areas.
Meanwhile, the Social Forestry development target for food crops from 2025 to 2029 is around 1.1 million hectares.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni earlier stated that Social Forestry is a strategic program in achieving national food security and serves as a bridge between environmental conservation and people's economic development.
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Translator: Prisca, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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