PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – A research report conducted by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, or Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), entitled “Ekonomi Nusantara: Tawaran Solusi Pulihkan Indonesia” in the 2019–2021 period in five ecological landscapes, namely peat, upland forest, lowland forest hills, and coastal areas, has revealed that the practice of the Archipelago Economy is still running and is the main support for community life.
“The practice of the Archipelago Economy can only be carried out optimally at the local level if people’s management areas are recognized and protected. To date, WALHI has assisted 1.3 million lands managed by communities. From this assistance, we have succeeded in identifying 77 types of food sources and potential commodities that are a source of community welfare and a major contributor to national and global economic development,” said WALHI National Executive Director Zenzi Suhadi in an official statement received by Palmoilmagazine.com, written Saturday (4/5/2024).
One example of the success of the Nusantara Economy practice is the story of Sri Hartati, a representative of the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) in Bayang Bungo, West Sumatra. They succeeded in producing derivative products from forest plants, such as nutmeg syrup, which later became the flagship of Nagari Kapujan and won the MSME Product Competition at the Pesisir Selatan Regency level.
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Astrid Hasan, a representative of the community in Kalaodi Village, North Maluku, also contributed to the discussion. “The Kalaodi community does not recognize the concept of land ownership, but only tree ownership based on nutmeg and clove plants that are intercropped with walnuts, cinnamon, durian, and areca nuts,” Astrid explained.
The Kalaodi community also maintains the tradition of maintaining land for social purposes and always prioritizes nature conservation in every decision related to natural resource management.
Roni Usman, Chairman of the National Executive Board of the Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (AP2SI), also emphasized the need for recognition and protection of community-managed areas. He gave an example of the success achieved by Ibun Village, West Java, which managed to manage forest areas responsibly and restored most of the land that was once open to become green again.
From the results of the research and field practice, it can be concluded that the recognition and protection of the People’s Management Area (WKR) is the main foundation in realizing the vision of a sustainable Nusantara Economy that favors local communities. This not only contributes to environmental restoration, but also improves people’s welfare.
Therefore, prioritizing the protection of WKR should be a strategic step in maintaining economic, ecological and social sustainability in Indonesia. By doing so, Indonesia can become a leader in climate change issues and set an example for other countries in fair and equitable economic development. (T2)
