The Hidden Treasure of Ibun Village Farmers

The social forestry program initiated by the government is expected to promote community welfare without ignoring nature conservation. This program indicates a positive trend, as is noticeable in Ibun village.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

Farmers of Ibun Village, Ibun District, Bandung Regency, West Java show coffee and vegetable plants in the social forestry forest they manage, in Ibun Village, Friday (5/5/2023).

Since the people living around Mount Rakutak, West Java, were licensed to utilize a social forestry area in the forest originally managed by the Perum Perhutani state forestry company, their life has changed. The legal access granted by the government has become a gateway to the community’s empowerment to meet economic needs and improve the local environment.

The forest serving as the hidden treasure of the Ibun village community can only be accessed through a long and muddy route in the Kamojang zone. The track is narrow and sometimes covered by shrubs. The best way of crossing it is on foot or riding a motorcycle. The terrain looks like an off-road trail.

Unlike visitors, who tightly grip handlebars while riding their motorbikes along the route, local farmers proceed calmly, even when their bike tires slip occasionally. They adeptly steer to avoid a muddy path, turn sharply on an ascending track, even unhesitatingly stepping on the gas as the track descends.

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After traversing the forest and winding uphill route around 15 minutes, our group arrived on a stretch of land planted with coffee and vegetables. The social forestry land is managed by about 35 residents of Ibun village, Ibun district, Bandung regency, West Java. They are affiliated with the Sauyunan Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS).

The social forestry zone managed by KUPS Sauyunan covers an expanse of 20-30 hectares of land at an altitude of 1,600 meters. It is located not far from Mount Rakutak and Mount Kamojang.

KUPS Sauyunan divides the social forestry land being handled into two zones, which are protected and utilization zones. Farmers have agreed to preserve the pristine condition of the protected zone and avoid making it a main area of commodity crop planting. Included in the protected zone are the area with water springs and an area with a slope of more than 60 degrees.

Meanwhile, the utilization zone is the area for planting coffee, tubers, cabbages, chili pepper, beans and bananas. Farmers can harvest Arabica coffee seven or eight times in three months. While waiting for coffee harvests, they grow vegetables as a source of daily living.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

A farmer in Ibun Village, Ibun District, Bandung Regency, West Java harvests coffee beans produced from the social forestry they manage, in Ibun Village, Friday (5/5/2023).

Frequent fires

The expanse of flourishing plants in this zone was previously quite an alien environment. Years ago, this zone was the area where kaso, the local name for cogon grass, was growing. The roots of this grass penetrate deeply into the ground to a depth of 50 centimeters. Its roots also often twist around everywhere.

Farmers claim to have difficulty in clearing the land of cogon grass. It costs Rp 40-50 million to rid 1 hectare of land of the grass. Without being removed, the grass can exacerbate forest fires, which occurred frequently many years ago.

“In the past, fires could break out repeatedly in a year,” said deputy chairman of KUPS Sauyunan, Syahrudin, in Ibun village on Friday (5/5/2023).

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“When there were fires, their smoke bothered residents, water springs dried up and the local community’s crops were totally burned,” he said.

This situation meant that people lost their source of income. In fact, according to KUPS Sauyunan chairman Amir, farmers formerly survived by renting land and sharing their plantation produce with Perum Perhutani. The fires made their lives even more difficult.

Bright prospect

The problem of forest management saw a bright prospect when the government issued the social forestry utilization license (IPHPS). The IPHPS is stipulated in the Environment and Forestry Minister’s Regulation No.39/2017 on social forestry in the operational area of Perum Perhutani.

Chairman of the Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (AP2SI), Roni Usman Kusmana, said the IPHPS for the Ibun village community was issued in 2017. The IPHPS allows the utilization of 1,087 hectares of social forestry land by around 770 families. They come from a number of village settlements in Ibun district and Pacet district.

“Social forestry was then still unfamiliar to the community. At the time the party considered authorized to manage forests in Java was Perum Perhutani,” said Roni.

After socialization and the issuing of several rules, social forestry management by communities began to be operational. The validity period of the IPHPS is 35 years. This social forestry program is expected to be capable of enhancing community welfare while maintaining nature conservation.

Social forestry was then still unfamiliar to the community.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

Farmers of Ibun Village, Ibun District, Bandung Regency, West Java at the location for processing coffee beans produced from the social forestry they manage, in Ibun Village, Friday (5/5/2023).

Social forestry management was then transferred to a number of social forestry groups (KPS). The KPS later formed KUPS as forest management business units. In Ibun village there are eight KUPS units, one of which is KUPS Sauyunan.

Roni said people were guided in order to be able to manage their forest properly and correctly. The social forestry zone managed by KUPS Sauyunan was seen as indicating a positive trend. While sustainable, the forest also provides the community’s living needs.

“Before its social forestry status, this zone was previously really unproductive. Kaso was growing so that it was difficult to cultivate. Agriculture was hard to develop. But through the community’s perseverance, the present conditions are now evident,” added Roni.

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Nusantara Fund

With the injection of the Nusantara Fund, KUPS Sauyunan farmers have built a coffee-production house, diversified plant species in the forest and provided postharvest coffee-processing training. With these efforts, farmers hope they can strengthen their coffee brand and even produce coffee in sachets if possible.

The Nusantara Fund was initiated by the Alliance of Indigenous Communities of the Indonesian Archipelago (AMAN), the Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi) and the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA). The funding is raised from several international donors, which is then directly distributed to indigenous peoples and local communities.

The fund has been trialed since December 2022 in 30 locations in Indonesia, including Ibun village. When it was first tried out, the communities received no more than Rp 50 million.

The funding is disbursed after the communities submit their proposals. This funding is provided only for the communities being fostered by AMAN, Walhi and KPA.

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.