Linking Community Forestry Business Units with the Funding Sources
Makassar, October 25th, 2018. The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) in collaboration with the Sulawesi Community Foundation (SCF) held a Workshop on Social Forestry Business Financing Schemes for 2 days from 24-25 October 2018 in Makassar, South Sulawesi Province. The workshop was carried out with the support of the Responsible Asia Forestry & Trade partnership program (RAFT). The thirty seven participants from various stakeholder representatives attended this workshop, namely MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) groups, Cooperatives, Community Plantation Forest groups, LHPD (Village Forest Management Institution), HKm (Community Forest) groups, Forest Management Unit, South Sulawesi Provincial Forestry Agency, Provincial Cooperative Agency, and local NGOs.
The workshop was opened by the representative of the head of the South Sulawesi Provincial Forestry Agency who said that the empowerment of the surrounding forest community was a priority for the development of the provincial government, and the development of community business enterprises still needed to be strengthened. Reny Juita, representing the Director of RECOFTC Indonesia conveyed the objectives and output of the workshop, the hopes that the central government's program through BLU that provides open access for community enterprise groups can open opportunities for increasing the abundant natural resource potential that has been managed by the community.
The keynote speaker of the workshop are Mr. Muchksin, S.Hut, M.Sc (Head of the Sulawesi Region of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership (BPSKL)), Mr. Arham, SP, M.Sc (Director of SCF), and Ms. Dinni Melati (Head of Sub Directorate Funding and Revolving Funds of BLU), and Gabriella Lissa (RECOFTC Indonesia). In this workshop there was also a representative of the Akar Tani Cooperative M. Irzad Syafar who shared the success story of the cooperative he led in accessing revolving funds from the BLU.
In addition to the speakers' explanation, there were also groups discussions (FGD) to accommodate opinions, ideas, and map challenges, obstacles, and opportunities in the implementation of forestry business according to workshop participants. At the end of the workshop, the 9 groups that are ready to be facilitated by the BLU Facilitator in writing proposals. The groups are East Luwu UMHR, LPHD Kahu Bone Regency, BUMDes Labbo Bantaeng Regency, Sepakat Village Forest North Luwu Regency, HTR Samuddae, PT. Green Power, individual track with 2 people from KTH Kahayya, Jeneponto (HKm) and Hassanuddin University.
Social forestry activities in the South Sulawesi region have business potential that can be developed in many forms, such as ecotourism, silvopastura, natural silk, and non-timber forest products. However, as stated by Mr. Muchsin, BPSKL lacks the human resources which are also related to the big scope of its work area throughout Sulawesi so that the development of community enterprises runs stagnant. The scheme at the BLU can synergize with the Social Forestry program, as well as a program from the Provincial Government of South Sulawesi to develop community enterprise units in the forestry sector. This is ultimately expected to improve the welfare of the community in accordance with the main objectives of the Social Forestry program.
