“Learning from one another” – that was the motto of our agroforestry workshop conducted from 28 to 30 March 2017 in Mataso, Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan. The goal of our discussion rounds and field activities with local cocoa farmers and members of the new agroforestry trainer group IPAMA (Ikatan Penyuluh Agroforestry Malinau) was to share knowledge and experiences about cocoa agroforestry management and organization building for cocoa processing and marketing.

On our first day, IPAMA members showcased the reasons and processes of building-up IPAMA as an organization. Inspired by the stories from Malinau, the Mataso farmers discussed the possibilities of creating their own group in order to facilitate the local cocoa business. In the following days, we visited three cocoa agroforestry demonstration plots implemented in 2015. We observed and discussed the potentials and constraints in design and management and explored possible solutions for upcoming challenges.

We also conducted field exercises to learn more about good pruning practice. We completed our come-together by visiting the nearby community forest (hutan desa) where we enjoyed a social evening with the community of Karangan Bunut and celebrated the inauguration of their beautiful new eco-lodge for tourists.

Our workshop was an excellent opportunity to bring together local people from North and West Kalimantan and to let them share ideas and solutions about improving the production, processing and marketing of cocoa from agroforestry systems. We hope that the knowledge and ideas emerging from our workshop will motivate and support the participants to try out more activities towards sustainable cocoa production and marketing.

For further information, please contact:
Dr. Regine Brandt, Development Advisor for Agroforestry, Email: regine.brandt@giz.de
Karl Jäger, Development Advisor for Agroforestry, Email: karl.jaeger@giz.de
Petrus Derani, Local Coordinator in Kapuas Hulu, Email: petrus.derani@yahoo.com
Halim Pratama, Local Advisor in Malinau, Email: pratamahalim.eng@gmail.com

Created: 01 April 2017

FORCLIME held its first Quarterly Management Meeting 2017 from 26 February – 01 March in Bandung, West Java. The meeting was conducted to discuss strategic planning and Annual Work Plan (AWP) for 2017. The internal meeting also attended by colleagues from FORCLIME FC, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Forestry Planning and International Cooperation Bureaus, and the National Planning and Development Agency (Bappenas). Through this meeting, FORCLIME has an opportunity to improve the work plan for this year as we received some inputs and suggestions from colleagues in the pilot districts as well as national partners.

For further information please contact:
Mohamad Rayan, Advisor for Crosscutting Issue and Conflict Management

Created: 31 March 2017

FORCLIME actively participated in the celebration of the International Day of Forest (IDF) in Indonesia which is organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) since 2015. The MoEF held a series of events, which took place at the Manggala Wanabakti premises, Jakarta from 21 – 24 March 2017.

During the IDF celebration, FORCLIME presented at the exhibition and conducted a talkhow on Promoting Bioenergy and Biobased Products from the Forestry Sector. Panels of the talkshow included representative of Directorate Environmental Services and Non Timber Forest Products, the Head of Center of Forest Research and Development, the Dean of Forestry Faculty of Mulawarman University, and the chairman of Masyarakat Pegiat Energi Biomassa Hutan Indonesia (MAPEBHI), an NGO focuses on forest biomass for energy. Some notes from the talkshow, as follows:

• The potential of forests to supply more energy and biobased product is extraordinary, however, has not been well explored. Additionally, this resource can be part of the economic transformation of the industry-based/conventional products towards advanced material products with high economic value.
• Potency for bioenergy that has not been utilized is not only sourced from plantation forests for energy but also using wastes from the processes of logging, timber industry and wood processing.
• Need to promote stronger policies to support bioenergy and other biobased product development in the forestry sector.
• Need to harmonize the upstream-downstream supplies, in addition to integration between sectors to ensure bioenergy and other biobased value chains products.
• Need to develop overall strategy, which covers sustainability aspect and the impacts.

In December 2012, the United Nations declared March 21 of every year as the International Day of Forest, with the aim to celebrating and raising awareness of the public on the importance of all types of forests and trees grow outside the forests. This year’s theme is Forest and Energy.

For more information about the talkshow, please contact:
Tunggul Butarbutar, Senior Adviser on Sustainable Forest Management

Created: 24 March 2017