Indonesia grants social forestry rights to 309 households in Sulawesi

Sigi, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has granted social forestry management permits covering 3,238 hectares to 309 households in the Tojo Una-Una and Poso districts of Central Sulawesi Province.

"Social forestry management in Central Sulawesi is implemented through village forest and community forest schemes for local residents," Antoni said during an official visit here on Saturday.

He noted that transferring management rights is part of the government's efforts to empower local communities to manage forests productively, responsibly, and sustainably.

According to Forestry Ministry data, the permits were awarded to five community groups. There are three in Tojo Una-Una District, namely the Matako and Nangga Village Forest Management Agencies (LPHD) and the Tumbuo Raya Forest Farmer Group (KTH).

Meanwhile, the other two are located in Poso District, namely the Maragi Mbana LPHD in Pantangolemba Village and the Mosintuwu LPHD in Tangkura Village.

"These groups possess diverse natural resources and strong business potential, spanning commodities such as cocoa, coconut, sugar palm, durian, avocado, mango, corn, rattan, dammar resin, candlenut, and honey," Antoni said.

He also underscored the importance of developing agricultural processing and environmental services, such as by utilizing hot springs, alongside agroforestry and non-timber forest products.

"Moving forward, social forestry must evolve beyond merely granting access to building productive enterprises, strengthening community institutions, adding value to commodities through downstream processing, and expanding partnerships and market access," he added.

The minister explained that the success of the social forestry program is no longer measured solely by the size of the land allocated, but by the tangible benefits experienced by communities without compromising the forest's ecological functions.

As of October 2026, the Ministry of Forestry has issued 11,364 social forestry approval decrees covering 8.47 million hectares for 1.43 million households nationwide.

In Central Sulawesi alone, 1,358 decrees spanning 160,310.89 hectares have been issued, reaching 37,383 households across 194 villages in 12 districts and cities.

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Translator: Moh Salam, Uyu Liman
Editor: Primayanti
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