"Social forestry is a path to national independence, promoting food, energy, and water self-sufficiency through one of the national strategic projects, namely food and energy security through community-based forestry," said the Deputy Minister in Jakarta, on Friday.
Shiddiq further explained that the step also aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's previous directive to promote social forestry as a strategic policy.
He hopes that the program will not only open access to legal forest management, but also improve community welfare, reduce unemployment, and reduce poverty.
"To date, we have achieved the distribution of access to manage social forestry over 8,323, 671 hectares, covering 11,065 decrees with 1,420,189 beneficiaries, and the formation of 15,754 Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS)," Shiddiq said.
"This demonstrates that communities are no longer merely forest guardians, but key actors in the green economy," he added.
He said that his party is also trying to promote the program through the National Social Forestry Festival (PeSoNa), which this year carries the theme "Caring for Forests, Inheriting Hope."
The 2025 PeSoNa Festival provides a collaborative space for communities, millennials, the government, business actors, the private sector, academics, and development partners," the Deputy Minister said.
He also said that the goals of the festival include increasing the capacity of social forestry players, opening market access, and connecting KUPS with potential buyers to build sustainable collaborations.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Zhafira, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Arie Novarina
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