Southwest Papua is a new Indonesian province that was formally acknowledged in December 2022. Through the Southwest Papua Environment, Forestry and Agrarian Service (DLHKP), non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that are produced by the community under the auspices of the Social Forestry programme will continue to be supported in order to increase community income. In this province, several types of products are produced by community groups. Some of these products are modified in accordance with market demand, while others take the form of semi-finished raw materials. Examples include noken (traditional Papuan bags), bark paintings, ointments (star anise, eucalyptus), original Wamena honey, sago stick cakes in various flavours (cheese, palm sugar, tuna floss) and other non-timber forest products.
In order to propose and promote further NTFPs, the DLHKP of Southwest Papua and the Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership Agency (BPSKL) of the Maluku Papua Region, supported by FORCLIME, led a study visit to the NTFP gallery known as the Creative Forestry Gallery, which is located in Jayapura, Papua Province from 25 - 27 September 2024. In addition to the DLHKP, a total of 11 representatives from six forest management units (KPH) located in Southwest Papua [Protection KPH (KPHL) Sorong City, KPHL Tambrauw, Production KPH (KPHP) Sorong, KPHP Raja Ampat, KPHP Maybrat and KPHP South Sorong], as well as from the BPSKL for the Maluku Papua Region participated in the study visit and were welcomed by the Head of the Forestry and Environmental Service of Papua Province, Mr. Ariest Ap, S.H., S.Hut., M.Sc. The purpose of this visit was to increase insights and enhance perspectives, as well as to learn how to build galleries in order to promote non-timber forest products.
Papua Province was chosen as the location for the study visit because it already has a gallery that markets NTFPs that are produced by farmers groups/forest community groups assisted by KPH and the Forestry Service Branch (CDK) within the province. Around 91 products are displayed in the Creative Forestry Gallery and comprise processed foods and beverages, medicines, accessories and eco-print fabrics. In addition, the study location was also selected due to the similarities between the cultures and socioeconomic statuses of the people of the two provinces. The Creative Forestry Gallery is managed in collaboration with the Forestry and Environment Service (DKLH) of Papua Province.
During the visit, the Papua Forestry Service (DKLH) shared its experience of building and managing the Forestry Creative Gallery. “At first it was difficult to find assistance and we tried to establish cooperation with other government institutions. Finally, we decided to establish a cooperative in order to accommodate all of the community’s non-timber forest products,” explained Mr. Ariest Ap.
Mr. Ariest Ap went on to clarify that each KPH is required to demonstrate its level of performance by producing at least one NTFP from the assisted community group. Meanwhile, the DKLH monitors and evaluates the performance of the KPH during its involvement in the production of the NTFPs that will ultimately be displayed in the Forestry Creative Gallery. At present, around 200 types of products have been successfully marketed through the Forestry Creative Gallery in Jayapura.
For more information, please contact:
Laurensia Mapandin, Junior Adviser for Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Tanah Papua
