Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and Chair of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives Siti Hediati Soeharto conveyed the central government and parliament's strong commitment to establishing social forestry as a key element of economic equality and sustainable forest management. This commitment was highlighted at the Strengthening Social Forestry (SSF) Project exhibition, themed Aka Basamo, which took place in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra. The Minister of Forestry, Raja Antoni, has emphasised that Social Forestry has once again been designated as a National Strategic Project (PSN). This strategic initiative aims to ensure that land ownership and utilisation, including forest areas, are oriented towards social justice and the welfare of people. At present, the local community is invited to participate in the preservation and utilisation of the forest for welfare purposes.
To date, the government has granted legal access to communities over 8.3 million hectares of forest areas through 11,015 Decisions involving 1.4 million households. Approximately 5 million hectares of land could still be managed through the Social Forestry scheme. A notable achievement of the programme is the inaugural export of 8 tonnes of coffee from the Luhak Bungsu Cooperative to Dubai. The Chairperson of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Hediati Soeharto, emphasised that Social Forestry is a viable solution to reduce poverty in forest villages while maintaining national environmental stability, opening access to income, employment, and business security. Furthermore, the House of Representatives has provided concrete support through cross-sectoral policies, including fertiliser subsidies for forest farmers, which have been officially accommodated in the Ministry of Agriculture Regulation No. 4 of 2025.
