Sambas – Around 60 participants representing government, industry, head of villages and Village Forest Management Institution (Lembaga Pengelola Hutan Desa (LPHD)) gathered in Sambas City to follow up on former multistakeholder workshop in August. Social Forestry becomes one of the efficient approaches to promote multistakeholder collaborative implementation in Sambas Landscape as well as to provide opportunities for village communities’ economic improvement. Besides the multistakeholder forum, exhibition of social forestry products on 8 – 10 November is expected to open wider market access. The multistakeholder workshop and exhibition of social forestry products are initiated by Sambas district government with support from Aidenvironment Asia’s Lanscape Program in Sambas district and Musim Mas.
The former multistakeholder forum held at Sambas district regional development planning agency office on 7 August 2019 resulted several important recommendations, such as the need for developing multistakeholder collaboration and synergy for area development and forest area management, as well as for village areas, particularly the ones located in Sambas Landscape. In the context of forest and village areas management, Social Forestry becomes priority program because it suites to the district’s geographical character and natural resource potentials. Agriculture, forestry and fishery combined are biggest contributor sectors to Sambas district’s regional revenue in 2016, i.e. 32.69% (Regional Development Action Plan, 2018).
Sambas landscape covers an area of around 6,717 km2 which consists of production forest, protected forest, conservation forest, peat land and village areas. Administratively, the landscape lies in almost all Sambas district’s sub-districts. Forest areas in Sambas that are already granted with Social Forestry license from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK)) are located in two border sub-districts, i.e. in Paloh Sub-district with Sebubus Village Forest of ± 5,855 Ha, Sebubus Community Forest of ± 625 Ha and Sebubus Community Plantation Forest of ± 892 Ha, and in Sajingan Besar Sub-district with Santaban Village Forest of ± 1,319 Ha, Sanatab Village Forest of ± 3,922 Ha, Sanatab Community Forest of ± 255 Ha, Kaliau Village Forest of ± 1,785 Ha, and Kaliau Community Forest of ± 1,120 Ha.
Social Forestry program in the district has been implemented since August 2018 with support from Aidenvironment and Musim Mas. Some examples of social forestry products are Stingless Bee Honey (Madu Kelulut), Crab, Mangrove Jam, Fishery and Ecotourism. Since its initiation, the Social Forestry program in Sambas Landscape has engaged 80 households in 4 villages, i.e. Sebubus, Kaliau, Sanatab, and Santaban.
Besides Social Forestry, Aidenvironment also gives special attention to Palm Oil Plantation sector. Aidenvironment’s spatial analysis until 2019 shows that planted Palm Oil Plantation in Sambas District covers a total area of 121,969 Ha which consists of 63,166 Ha (52%) Palm Oil within companies’ concessions, 8,393 (7%) Palm Oil Plantation managed by communities but already granted with official legality (land ownership certificate) , and 50,410 (41%) non concession Palm Oil plantations without land ownership legality that are usually managed by smallholder farmers.
Therefore, legality aspect is a key issue in sustainable Palm Oil management practices and it could give be an opportunity for generating local revenue through Land and Property Ownership Tax (Bea Perolehan Hak Atas Tanah dan Bangunan (BPHTB)). For the purpose, Aidenvironment supports legalization program for smallholder farmers’ lands through Agrarian Reform Land Object (Tanah Obyek Reforma Agraria (TORA)) program or through asset legalization according to the applicable law. In the future, private sector and local government will collaborate in programs to empower Palm Oil smallholder farmers through which Palm Oil Plantation management could be integrated into a productive and sustainable landscape management.
Based on recommendation from the previous multistakeholder workshop, the current workshop is aimed at strengthening multistakeholder collaboration and synergy in area development and forest area management in Sambas Landscape, and will be attended by representatives from various stakeholders representing district government, Kalimantan Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership Agency (Balai Perhutanan Sosial dan Kemitraan Lingkungan (BPSKL))/Social Forestry Acceleration Working Group (Pokja PPS) West Kalimantan, Forest Management Unit (Kesatuan pengelolaan Hutan (KPH)), natural Resources Conservation Agency (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BKSDA)), Agricultural and Food Security Agency, National Land Agency, Sub-district Heads, Plantation companies, village governments, and village forest management institutions working on landscape management.
Bupati of Sambas, Atbah Romin Suhaili, Lc in his introductory remarks said, “Social Forestry becomes priority program because it aligns with the national government’s program and provides a huge opportunity for active participation from communities and other stakeholders, access for communities in managing forests sustainably for long term economic improvement, and could be an option for resolving land tenure conflicts because lands are managed collaboratively”.
Marius Gunawan, Senior Landscape Program Manager di Aidenvironment Asia, said, “Aidenvironment as a non-governmental organization supports sustainable development in Sambas Landscape through several approaches, i.e. through Corporate Sustainability Program (CSP) approach to promote private sector transformation to comply with sustainability principles in their operation, and through Landscape approach to promote multistakeholder collaboration at landscape level which way natural resources could be managed collaboratively and could provide collective benefits for all stakeholders in the landscape”.
Musim Mas as one of Palm Oil companies operating in Sambas district realizes the importance of such collaborative approach. Olivier Tichit, the Company’s Director of Sustainable Supply Chain said, “Through landscape approach, private sector could participate more actively to contribute to the realization of sustainable development in Sambas Landscape, together with other stakeholders including the local government and community. Musim Mas supports this multistakeholder forum through active participation and through engaging other companies in Sambas Landscape”.
Marius Gunawan, Senior Landscape Program Manager di Aidenvironment Asia, added, “Besides the multistakeholder workshop, there will also be an exhibition of products from community’s Social Forestry program. With Sambas District geographically located adjacent to Sarawak border (Malaysia), the exhibition is expected to give the Sambas community pride and confidence on their achievements through the program, as well as to broaden network and market access for their products to the neighboring country”.
Bupati Atbah Romin Suhaili, Lc realizes that Sambas District government could not carry all burden and responsibilities in order to achieve an optimal condition. Various efforts could not be solely implemented by the local government, but it will need an integrated support from all sectors according to their capacity and authority. “I am inviting and expecting all development stakeholders in this area/landscape to continuously improve sustainable development in the future”.
For more information, please contact:
Carolyn Lim
Corporate Communications
media@musimmas.com
+65 6576 4770
