Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, visited Sarongge Village, Cianjur Regency, West Java, to review the implementation of the Social Forestry program, particularly the processing of Sarongge coffee, on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Minister Raja Antoni observed the coffee processing firsthand and engaged in discussions with forest farmer groups, extension workers, facilitators, and the local community.
Sarongge coffee is one of Indonesia’s native coffee varieties that has successfully entered the export market, reaching Germany and South Korea. This coffee is produced in Sarongge Village, a successful social forestry area that has developed an agroforestry-based business.
Minister Raja Antoni stated that in Cianjur Regency, 8,900 hectares of land have been granted management access to 37 forest farmer groups. However, the Ministry of Forestry and relevant government agencies will continue to maximize the utilization of these permits.
“How can we maximize this? The primary goal is to improve the welfare of the community,” said the Minister.
He also emphasized that the Social Forestry program should ensure both the prosperity of the community and the sustainability of the forests.
“In Sarongge Village, there are 100 hectares available, but only 30 percent has been planted with coffee, producing about 7 tons. Ideally, the entire 100 hectares should be cultivated so that production can reach 80-100 tons,” said Minister Raja Juli Antoni.
During discussions with farmer groups, the Minister received information regarding fertilizer shortages. In response, he stated that the Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with local governments and social forestry activists, would work together to address these challenges.
The Minister also assured that the Social Forestry program would not lead to deforestation in Indonesia’s forest areas.
“Social forestry is not intended for deforestation. In the past, communities were prohibited from entering the forest. Now, they are legally allowed to do so, but under two conditions: first, they must ensure the forest remains sustainable, and second, they can utilize forest resources for their welfare,” he asserted.
He also reminded the community that the social forestry permits granted must be managed productively. Otherwise, the government has the right to revoke the permits.
“We have mechanisms in place. The extreme measure would be revocation, but we hope it does not come to that because empowering communities is not easy—it requires a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process,” he explained.
Sarongge Village serves as a concrete example of how social forestry can be a solution for both community welfare and forest conservation. The success of Sarongge coffee in penetrating the international market proves that forest-based local products can be highly competitive globally.
The Minister also praised the achievements of the Sarongge community in developing non-timber forest product-based enterprises, such as coffee and palm sugar, which has a production capacity of up to 15 tons per year. This success demonstrates that sustainable forest utilization can go hand in hand with improving community welfare.
