Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Ministry of Forestry reiterated Indonesia’s national commitment to strengthening Social Forestry as a strategic agenda aimed at ecological justice, community welfare, and sustainable forest protection. The program has expanded management access to more than one million households, supported the development of 15,852 Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS), and generated an estimated economic value of Rp 4 trillion. The government has also set a target to recognize 1.4 million hectares of customary forests by 2029, ensuring stronger legal standing for Indigenous communities as key guardians of forest ecosystems.
Public appreciation for Indonesia’s consistent forestry policies was demonstrated during the Detikcom Awards 2025, where Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni received the award for “Champion of Social Forestry for People’s Welfare.” The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Forestry, Mahfudz, accepted the award on his behalf in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, 25 November 2025.
In his remarks, Minister Antoni emphasized that the recognition reflects the collective efforts of all stakeholders. He stated that the award honors President Prabowo Subianto’s clear direction to ensure that forest resources are distributed fairly and not monopolized by the privileged. He also dedicated the achievement to field facilitators, civil society organizations, local governments, and forest-edge communities whose daily dedication sustains Indonesia’s forests.
The Minister underscored that Social Forestry operates not only as a technical initiative but as a national reform movement. He highlighted that the program seeks to expand equitable access, create real economic opportunities for rural communities, and preserve forests across generations. He further affirmed the ministry’s commitment to securing 1.4 million hectares of customary forests by 2029, reinforcing legal certainty for Indigenous peoples as “the best guardians of the forest.”
To accelerate progress, the ministry prioritizes expanding access permits, strengthening mentoring for KUPS, improving markets and financing for community forestry enterprises, digitizing service processes, securing forest areas from illegal encroachment, and enhancing collaboration with local governments, private sectors, and civil society organizations.
These efforts position Social Forestry as a driver of the rural green economy and an essential instrument to reduce deforestation pressures and support Indonesia’s national climate goals. The program also contributes to Indonesia’s global diplomacy as the world’s third-largest tropical forest nation, strengthening its stance in international forums related to the SDGs, emissions reduction under the FOLU Net Sink 2030 agenda, and global climate negotiations.
Minister Antoni concluded by expressing hope that the award serves as a reminder that community prosperity directly correlates with sustainable forest conservation. (*)
