Poverty Alleviation Strategy through Increasing Food Security and Social Forestry

Samarinda, 07/30/2020. Poverty alleviation is a very difficult challenge during the Covid19 pandemic, however, you must not give up and you must remain enthusiastic in looking forward to the welfare of the people of East Kalimantan in particular and the people of Indonesia in general.

Various poverty alleviation efforts are being carried out through various multi-sector programs and activities at the Central, Provincial and Regency/City Government levels, including at the meeting on Thursday, 30 July 2020 with the meeting agenda "Strategies for Alleviating Poverty and Increasing Food Security through Social Forestry" led by the Director General of Regional Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Director of Social Forestry & Environmental Partnerships-KLHK attended 109 participants from various Provincial and Regency/City Governments throughout Indonesia via the Zoom Meeting application in each. The East Kalimantan Province Bappeda was attended by Rina Juliati (Head of SDA-LH Subdivision) and Nadia Humaira Aviantari (Economic Division Staff). The meeting began with a presentation session delivered by resource persons including:

1. The Role of Regional Government in the Implementation of Social Forestry by Drs. Nyoto Suwignyo, MM (Director of SUPD I, Directorate General of Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs)
2. Poverty Alleviation Strategy Through Social Forestry by Bambang Supriyanto (Director General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships)
3. Social Forestry Policy in the 2020-2024 RPJMN by Nur Hygiawati Rahayu (Director of Forestry and Water Resources Conservation, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas)
4. Implementation of Social Forestry in Efforts to Reduce Poverty and Increase Food Security by Apik Karyana (Secretary of the Directorate General of PSKL, KLHK)

Based on the presentation by the resource person and the results of the discussion of the meeting participants, several important points were concluded, including:
1. In the 2020-2024 RPJMN there are 3 main indicators for forestry development, namely:
a. Establish and protect 65 million hectares of National Protected Areas with High Biodiversity and Carbon Stocks as well as Carrying and Capacity Capacity (DDDT)
b. Overcoming the use of forest areas by the community by providing access and/or assets to the community of 10 million hectares
c. Meeting the supply/demand for national wood production of at least 60 million cubic meters/year
2. Social Forestry is a sustainable forest management system implemented in state forest areas or private forests/customary forests implemented by local communities or customary law communities as the main actors to improve their welfare, environmental balance and social and cultural dynamics
3. Social Forestry consists of 5 community management accesses, namely:
a. Customary forests
b. Community Forest
c. Village Forest
d. Community Plantation Forest
e. Forestry Partnership
4. To support Social Forestry, the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) was formed as an initial start-up. KUPS is the holder of a Social Forestry permit or right that will and/or has carried out business and Community Forests that have been designated as KUPS in accordance with applicable regulations. Of the 6,940 KUPS that have been formed, the number of KUPS that have successfully achieved Gold and Platinum criteria is 539 units. This number is spread across Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. The characteristics of KUPS Gold and Platinum are that they already have a business plan, access to capital and markets but need further development in marketing.
5. There are 6 Forestry Development targets in supporting Social Forestry, namely:
a. Top 3 world market shares for forest products
b. 97 million hectares of forest cover national bioeconomic capital
c. 1-5 million hectares of additional biodiversity and bioprospecting habitat
d. 8 million hectares of forest as natural capital for the community
e. 1 million hectares of forest and land rehabilitation for food and water security
f. 300 thousand hectares annual deforestation rate to achieve the Paris Agreement.
6. The provincial government has the authority to manage protected forest areas and production forests within the scope of the Forest Management Unit (KPH). KPH ensures management at the site level so that it has benefits for regional development, such as: increased land cover, improved watershed quality, reduced conflict, reduced poverty rates, increased income and welfare and a vibrant community economy.
7. Food security has become a central issue in agricultural development and national development since the 2015-2019 RPJMN and 2020-2024 RPJMN because increasing food security not only concerns basic needs but also supports national economic growth.
8. Food security in Indonesia has several obstacles, including:
a. Conversion of rice fields into non-agricultural areas
b. Food governance is still weak
c. Extreme climate due to climate change
d. Decrease in food crop productivity
e. Food model that only relies on rice production
f. Indonesia is facing a crisis in the regeneration of young farmers
9. Forest functions in food security: Food Availability (availability of sufficient food of appropriate quality from domestic and imported products), Food Access (individual access to adequate food resources), Utilization (utilization of food through good diet, access to clean water, proper sanitation and adequate health care), Stability (for stability to occur, the population/household/individual must have adequate access to food at all times).

Recommendations that need to be followed up include:

1. The forest area in Indonesia is around 120.7 Ha (63.09% of the land area) and the number of poor people living around the forest area is 10.2 million (36.73% of the total poor population in Indonesia. This happens because the allocation for forest management to the community is only ± 13%. Inequality
2. control of land will create great potential for social conflict and disrupt the stability of the country.
   a. The number of farmers in Indonesia is 45% of the total population, but is only able to meet ± 70% of the population's food needs. This happens because:
   b. Agricultural land conversion is increasing with an average of 30,000-50,000 Ha per year;
   c. The success of food quantity has not been accompanied by an increase in farmer welfare, so farmer regeneration tends to be low;
   d. The number of people who are food insecure is 36.85 million and very vulnerable is 15.48 million. This figure may change higher, especially in the current New Normal era.

(Public Relations of Bappeda East Kalimantan Province/author Rina Juliati (Head of SDA-LH Subdivision) and Nadia Humaira Aviantari (Economic Staff)/editor Sukandar, S. Sos).