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Synergizing Food Security With Forest Conservation: Preliminary Insights From Social Forestry Implementation In Riau, Indonesia

To cite this article: Rizky Januar etal2022 IOPConf.Ser.:EarthEnviron.Sci.1111 012035

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Synergizing Food Security With Forest Conservation: Preliminary Insights From Social Forestry Implementation In Riau, Indonesia

Rizky Januar1*, Dean Affandi2 and Smita Tanaya3

1 Research, Data, and Innovation, World Resources Institute, Jakarta, 12170, Indonesia, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9591-1936

2 Research, Data, and Innovation, World Resources Institute, Jakarta, 12170, Indonesia, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1946-322X

3 Agriculture, Forests, Land Use, World Resources Institute, Jakarta, 12170, Indonesia, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5847-0230

1*rizky.haryanto@wri.org, 2dean.affandi@wri.org, 3smita.sitanggang@wri.org

Abstract. Amidst food security challenges faced by Indonesia, policies to address them may come at the expense of forest ecosystems. Social Forestry (SF) program provides a potential solution to synergize forest conservation and food security objectives in Indonesia by allowing local communities to manage and protect the local forests. However, there is limited evidence on how the synergy is realized within the SF implementation on the ground. The study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating community-based practices, efforts, and challenges in line with the pathways connecting forest conservation and food security in three SF sites in Riau, Indonesia. Relevant data are collected through stakeholder interviews, field observation, and spatial analysis; and further triangulated through literature review. While SF ecosystems at the study sites provide food and income sources and help build climate resilience for the local and indigenous communities, challenges remain in improving the value added and market access of local forest products; incentivizing forest-based food subsistence potential in line with the sitespecific practices; and, in some areas, reducing the rate of forest loss. The policy implications and recommendations for improvement are provided.

1. Introduction

Amidst food security challenges faced by Indonesia, existing policies to address them may come at the expense of forest ecosystems. Indonesia ranked 65th out of 113 countries in the Global Food Security Index 2020 [1]. Meanwhile, Global Hunger Index 2020 put Indonesia 70th out of 132 countries [2]. To strengthen food security amidst Covid-19, Indonesia began implementing the Food Estate policy: a large-scale food production program that includes agriculture and livestock. However, the Food Estate allocation plan covers approximately 1.5 million hectares of natural forests [3], raising questions about deforestation's risk and its threat to Indonesia’s climate mitigation commitment. Aligning forest conservation and food security in Indonesia remains a challenge to be addressed. Various studies have offered alternative approaches to synergize forest conservation measures and food security. Forests may contribute to strengthening food systems mainly through three pathways: providing direct food sources for consumption (i.e., direct pathway), income from the sale of forest productsleadingtopurchaseoffooditems(i.e.,incomepathway),andecological services,whichsustain the forest environment including the food and income sources (i.e., ecological pathway) [4-7]. In

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Indonesia, among other countries – the agroforestry practice, where forest trees are retained along with the cultivation of crops and animal farming, may fulfill these pathways [7]. Nonetheless, it might also produce a potential threat to forests if profitable cropping proves more economically beneficial [8].

AmongexistingpoliciesinIndonesia,SocialForestry(SF)providesapotentialalleytoconnectforest conservation with communities’ food security. SF is designed to accelerate the provision of forest management permitsfor local andindigenouscommunities and provideopportunitiestomanageforests, thereby reducing tenurial conflicts, supporting community-based forest protection, and improving community welfare. As of August 2022, SF policy has issued forest management permits of up to five millionhectares[9],afractionofthe12.7-million-hectaretarget [10].SFimplementationisalsorelevant to Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions [11], in which the engagement of local and indigenous communities are expected to support environmental services' protection.

Bolstering the connection between forest conservation and local food security provides the highest benefit to the local and indigenous communities, considering that almost 50 million people live within and nearby forest areas, which includes 35 percent of the poor population in the country [12,13]. A recent study denotes the potential of conserved forests as a vital component toward food security and nutrition and calls for increasing their relevance within global and national discourses [7]. Enhancing local foodsecuritythroughsustainableforestmanagement alsoalignswiththeSustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) #15 (Life on Land) and #2 (Zero Hunger).

However, there is currently limited knowledge on how the implementation of Social Forestry can support the synergy of food security and forest conservation objectives at the community level in Indonesia. Thus,the study aims toinvestigatecommunity-basedpractices, efforts, and challengesinline with the forest conservationand food security pathways within SF areas and to shedlight on therelevant policy implications in line with the status and trends of current SF governance. This is key to giving much-needed insights for post-permit facilitation and policy improvements around SF implementation, which may drive welfare improvement for forest communities and ensure sustainable use of forest ecosystems.

2. Methods

In response to the research objective, a case study approach is implemented in several SF sites to collect the body of evidence related to direct, income, and ecological pathways (see section Introduction). Implementation of this approach builds upon previous studies linking forest conservation and food security [4–7]. The case study is applied in Riau province, where the SF policy targets 1.3 million hectares of permit provision (10.2 percent of the total national target). The case study is conducted in three sites within the province (Table 1). The choice of locations is informed by prior consultations with local experts and forest agencies, considering the research objective.

Table 1. Study sites in Riau Location Characteristics

Village Forest of Sapat

Village Forest of Sungai Piyai

Customary forest of Rantau Baru

A predominantly mangrove forest in the Indragiri Hilir district, Riau, with an area of 4.249 ha (3.538 ha for conservation, 315 ha for production forest, and 396 ha for conversion). Thevillage forest was legalized on 11th December 2017.

A predominantly mangrove forest in the Indagiri Hilir district, Riau, with a total area of 299 ha. The village forest was legalized on 31st December 2017. The forest location takes about 90 minutes by boat from the main island

A lowland tropical rainforest in the Pelalawan district, Riau, has an area of 871.99 ha. Currently, working closely with local NGOs, the

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indigenous people of Rantau Baru are seeking recognition of their customary forest covering an area of 200 ha. Indigenous people in Rantau Baru adopt a matrilineal system, where women own and manage Rantau Baru’s natural resources.

To collect data on the existing practices, challenges, and community efforts in line with the three pathways, field observation, and interviews are conducted with a total of 31 individuals consisting of local community members, government employees, and civil society organization (CSO) representatives. The fieldwork data on community-based forest conservation efforts are triangulated withforestcoverloss(FCL)assessment[10].Accordingly,spatialanalysisofannualFCLdataisapplied using Global Forest Watch (GFW) datasets [14]; the data are then overlaid with the forest extent data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia.

Finally, interviews on the key trends and challenges in SF governance in Riau are conducted to investigate the policy implications of the fieldwork data. We ensure cross-sectoral representation at national and provincial levels in Riau to minimize results bias and enrich perspectives of the data. Overall, we interviewed 21 individuals from the government institutions, research institutes, and CSOs. Data completion and triangulation are further conducted through a literature review. Based on the findings, rooms for policy improvement and further research are highlighted.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 Social Forestry contribution to household diet and income

3.1.1 Rantau Baru.

In Rantau Baru, we found that a significant proportion of local customary members rely on forest resources for their daily food consumption and contribution to household income. Rattan shoots taken from the forest are part of the regular local diets mainly consumed as vegetables. Communities also leverage capture fisheries from the watershed river within the forest zone for daily consumption and income. The fish is smoked or salted before being sold to the closest market (mostly in Langgam or Pangkalan Kerinci). Depending on the species, the price range of salted fish is 8,000-30,000 rupiah per kilogram (kg), whereas smoked fish are priced at 60,000-200,000 rupiah per kg.

Forest-sourced honey is also a key income source; to a small extent, it is consumed by local households.However,honeyfarmingisexclusivetocommunitymembersowningafractionoftheforest containing Sialang trees, where the honeycombs are produced. Honey can be sold to intermediaries (usually coming from the provincial capital city Pekanbaru) or directly to the market at a price range of 70,000-120,000rupiahperkg.TheCovid-19pandemicreducedsalespricesin2020,despitetherebound in 2021. Some efforts to improve sales are made through digital platforms, with the support of the local government – albeit with limited success. Meanwhile, there is yet limited agroforestry practice within the Rantau Baru forest. The forest-based livelihood sources, e.g., rattan and honey, are mainly based on the existing forest trees, with no additional cultivation of crops.

3.1.2 Sungai Piyai and Sapat.

Sapat and Sungai Piyai are two SF sites with similar ecological characteristics mangrove forests dominate both. According to MoEF data, Sapat and Sungai Piyai have around 93 percent and 86 percent of mangrove cover compared to their total SF areas. We also found significant similarities in the utilization model of forest resources in both sites.

The primary commodities utilized from Sapat and Sungai Piyai forests are fishes and crabs that are endemic to the mangrove habitat. Captured fish are consumed mainly by communities as part of the local diet, and the rest are sold to the local traditional markets. Meanwhile, crabs are a vital income source due to their high price: up to 170,000 rupiah per kg, with a daily catch of up to 2-3 kg. Some are also exported to Singapore at a much higher price. Nonetheless, the crab market chain was impacted by the supply chain disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Sungai Piyai and Sapat forests are dominated by Nypafruticans (Nypa) and Rhizophora sp (locally named bakau). In both villages, nypa is usually processed into dry leaves and brooms. The price of dry Nypa leaves reaches 7,000 rupiahs per kg, whereas nypa-based brooms are priced around 5,000-5,500 rupiah per kg. On average, despite the occasional fluctuation, monthly household income from selling nypa may reach 6 million rupiahs. Meanwhile, utilization of bakau remains limited. Community’s plan to develop bakau-based processed foods, such as syrup, are still restricted by limited capacity and training support. Accordingly, in 2022, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), the national-level institution mandated to restore mangroves in Indonesia, conducted training on mangrovebased commodity development for the local communities. The training includes crab farming and syrup processing, among others. Meanwhile, the mangrove crab and fish farming practices in both villages remain limited.

To support business development and income generation from SF commodities, communities in Sapat and Sungai Piyai established their commodity-based business units called Kelompok Usaha Perhutanan Sosial (KUPS),facilitatedbythegovernment.Basedonthecommoditydifferentiation,each village has two types of KUPS: one KUPS focuses on nypa, and the other mainly on fish, crabs, and shrimps. In Sapat, women are further encouraged to develop a specific KUPS in which all members are female. The purpose is to improve the role of women in local SF management. In the unit, the local women mainly develop plates made of nypa to be sold to the local markets.

3.1.3 Conserving Social Forestry areas and their ecological services: practices and challenges. In Rantau Baru, some of the forest areas are based in peatlands. Peatland canals for oil palm plantations constructed by a plantation company adjacent to the SF area had led to drainage, making the area more vulnerable to fires, especially during the dry season. Based on GFW data analysis, in 2015, the FCL in RantauBaruwas4.3timeshigherthanin2014(3.14haFCLin2014and13.49hain2015) presumably due to the large-scale peat fires in 2015. Respondents confirmed this harmed bee pollination and production of forest-sourced honey, a key income source for Rantau Baru communities.

Since then, with support from the state agency, the locals established the Fire-Care Community (Masyarakat Peduli Api / MPA), a community-based institution leading patrol activities for preventing and mitigating forest fires. This effort, among others, contributed to controlling forest loss – the average FCL from 2016 to 2020 was 2.9 ha, whereas the dry season in 2019 did not lead to a significant FCL increase (FCL in 2019 was 1.76 ha). Furthermore, in response to forest fires, a customary regulation was established to forbid cutting trees where bee pollination takes place violations could lead to a fine of up to tens of millions of rupiah.

Meanwhile, in Sapat and Sungai Piyai, communities have also relied on coconut plantations for their staple income. Plantation activities were disrupted during the coastal abrasions of 2017, mainly due to the destruction of mangrove ecosystems, which could otherwise have buffered the sea waves. The deterioration of mangroves can be linked to the communities’ use of the woods as building materials.

Sincetheabrasion,thecommunitieshaveaimedtoprioritizesustainableuseofmangroves,especially within the SF areas. Both Sapat and Sungai Piyai applied for SF management permits in 2017. In both villages, the local communities conducted regular patrols to prevent illegal mangrove logging. Communities in Sapat and Sungai Piyai have also been contributing to the mangrove rehabilitation program initiated by BRGM. In Sungai Piyai, BRGM developed a pilot for mangrove nurseries the resulting seeds were transferred to neighboring coastal villages to support mangrove rehabilitation. Further,thelocal consensushasalso been developedinwhichtransaction ofjuvenile carbsisprohibited.

Nonetheless, spatial analysis shows that SF conservation remains challenging in Sapat and Sungai Piya. Since the SF permits were handed in 2017 for both sites, forest loss has continued to increase. The annual FCL in Sungai Piyai in 2018, 2019, and 2020 are, respectively, 1.2, 24, and 30 times higher than the FCL in 2017, i.e., 0.43 ha. Meanwhile, in Sapat, FCL in 2018, 2019, and 2020 are 1.5, 2, and 1.85 times higher than the FCL in 2017, i.e., 1.21 ha. Our data indicate that the pertinent deforestation threats in both sites include housing and local infrastructure development using the mangrove woods, making mangrove charcoal for sale, and forest conversion into coconut plantations. Both villages are based in

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the Indragiri Hilir district, the largest coconut-producing district in Indonesia. Given the forest authorities' insufficient resources, local forest utilization practice supervision has been limited.

3.2 Policy discussion and implications

SF ecosystems allow local and indigenous communities to manage their food and income sources through sustainable forest use. This study shows that SF ecosystems in Rantau Baru, Sapat, and Sungai Piyai contribute to sustaining local diets and providing alternative livelihoods. However, challenges remain in improving local forest products' value added and market access to increase household income contribution. In addition, conservation attempts in these sites are still a work in progress. In Rantau Baru, based on the annual forest cover loss trend, forest loss has generally remained under control with the help of local community efforts. On the other hand, in Sapat and especially Sungai Piyai, despite ongoing restoration and conservation efforts, continuous guidance and supervision are still needed to minimize the threat of post-permit deforestation.

Opportunities and challenges from SF on food security and forest conservation in Riau suggest the need to augment SF's resource allocation andimprove SF's mainstreaming across local policies. In Riau, there is limited prioritization for SF within local policy planning as observed in, among others, Riau’s 2019-2024 Regional Medium Term Development Plan and the Environment and Forestry Agency Workplan 2019-2024. Limited policy mainstreaming contributes to the limited budget available for SF. In Riau, the SF-related budget within the 2017 fiscal year covers only 2.6 percent of the total direct expenses of the Riau Environment and Forestry Agency. Filling the resource gaps will be relevant to upgrade the markets and value chain of the non-timber forest products (NTFPs); support capacity building on forest protection and sustainable use; and bolster the potential of agroforestry and commodity farming in the study sites and beyond – in relevance to the biophysical and social site diagnostics [8,10], and also with caution as to carefully manage the potential deforestation threat [8].

Further, the need for improving synergy between conservation, food security, and economic livelihoods calls for strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration. An improved, dedicated task force consisting of government agencies, communities, community developers, and the private sector can provide a breakthrough in the post-permit SF facilitation process. The proposed task force might build upon lessons learned from the existing Working Group on the Acceleration of Social Forestry (Kelompok Kerja Percepatan Perhutanan Sosial) in Riau, which, according to our interviews, is limited in effectiveness and coordination. Also, enhancing collaborative mechanisms with small-medium enterprises and corporations with solidsustainability commitment could helpcreate a sustainable supply chain and knowledge transfer for SF-based communities, such as on non-timber forest commodities’ management and marketing.

Finally, our findings suggest that the importance of forest resources toward local subsistence (i.e., direct pathway) should be acknowledged. In line with this study, various studies suggest that forestbasedsubsistencecanprovideasafetynetinthefaceofexternal shocks[4,7,15].However,theSFpolicy scheme has not yet fully incentivized the direct pathway. For instance, the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation 9/2021 suggests that the evaluation of forest communities’ social welfare is solely determined by evidence of income increase, as measured by the amount of income and assets. Policies maythusbe refinedto recognizeandincentivize site-specific practices which promote forest-based food subsistence in an environmentally sustainable manner. Further research can quantitatively explore the extent to which SF areas contribute to the local food security pathways, including subsistence.

4. Conclusion

This study investigates community-based practices, efforts, and challenges within Social Forestry (SF) areas, in line with the direct, income, and ecological pathways connecting forest conservation and local food security. The casestudy, committedin Riau, confirms that SF provides a potential alley inrealizing the three pathways. Community participation in local conservation and restoration efforts also helps sustain local livelihoods while bringing benefits against pertinent climate threats, such as abrasion and forest fires. However, challenges remain in improving the value added and market access of local forest

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IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1111 (2022) 012035

IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1111/1/012035

products, incentivizing forest-based food subsistence potential in line with site-specific practices, and reducing the forest loss rate in some locations. Beyond accelerating the issuance of SF licenses, policy and institutional breakthroughs are needed to further align the conservation and food security objectives within the SF ecosystems, ensuring a meaningful contribution of the SF policy toward the local community welfare, SDGs, and Indonesia’s climate ambition.

Acknowledgments

This study is supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada, under the Think Climate Indonesia project. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

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