This project aims at identifying the microeconomic potential of forest farmers’ commodities in CBFM units and promoting agricultural business opportunities in CBFM units. This purpose is in line with the 2015-2019 National Medium Term Development Plan for the forestry sector in creating economic self-reliance by driving the strategic sectors of the domestic economy, in this case, the forest farmers.
The government of Indonesia has participated in reducing global GHG emission under a commitment to curb its emission at 21 to 41 percent by 2020 (www.ukp.go.id). The government of Indonesia has considered REDD and REDD+ as effective strategies in reducing its emission. In line with the efforts to promote CBFM by encouraging the expansion of community-based forest management unit, the recognition and protection of indigenous peoples rights to their customary forests, and the contribution CBFM units in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) have helped to lower poverty rate among forest farmers.
KpSHK considers this program is very important for some reasons. First, it can contribute to reducing poverty among communities living around and inside the forest area. At present, there are around 9 millions of forest people living below the poverty line. Second, CBFM units can contribute to reducing emissions with its intact forests. Third, strengthening community institutions for securing their access to forests and protecting the forest. Fourth, the sustainable forest certification can encourage ecosystem services or forest carbon, community participation, and prevention of forest deforestation.
Based on identification and various criteria through documentation of the CBFM units, there are various types of business commodities that can be developed under the nine CBFM principles in realizing economic self-reliance of the forest farmers. Agricultural potentials (food, horticulture, secondary crops), community plantation (coffee, pepper, candlenut), non-timber forest products (palm sugar, tengkawang, rattan, honey, resin, ecotourism, environmental services) are scattered across 25 CBFM units under ICCO – KpSHK Emissions Reduction program. However, in this market research KpSHK prioritizes certain commodities from the 25 CBFM units, namely:
- Kerinci, Jambi Province with LTA as a partner: Cinnamon, Arabica Coffee, Jernang (Dragon
Blood), Rice - Kapahiang, Bengkulu Province with KELOPAK as a partner: Pepper, Candlenut, Coffee
- Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi as a partner : Nutmeg
- Jember, East Java Province with SD Inpres as a partner: Robusta Coffee
- Sekadau, West Kalimantan Province with IMP as a partner: Rice, Jernang (Dragon Blood),
Tengkawang (Illipe Nuts)
By the end of the program, it is expected that a research finding on the potential commodities and market can be produced to actualize the economic self-reliance by mobilizing strategic sectors of the domestic economy in the CBFM units.