13 Social Forestry Business Groups in Lampung Achieve Platinum Status

A total of 13 social forestry business groups (KUPS) in Lampung Province have achieved platinum, or superior, status in the management of non-timber forest products through the social forestry scheme. Nationally, Lampung Province is one of the pioneering regions and serves as a barometer for the implementation of social forestry in Indonesia, according to Hendika Jaya Putra, Head of the Extension, Community Empowerment and Forestry Business Division at the Lampung Provincial Forestry Service, during the Kick Off Project Blended Finance Model in Bandarlampung on Friday. He stated that the total area covered by social forestry permits and social partnerships in Lampung Province reaches 209,395.99 hectares. The number of active social forestry groups in the province stands at 451 groups. Meanwhile, the total number of social forestry business groups formed in Lampung Province is 950. Of these 950 groups, 13 have reached the platinum or superior level in both business management and institutional strength. Furthermore, 111 social forestry business groups have entered the gold or independent category, 499 groups are in the silver or developing category, and 327 groups are in the blue or initial pioneering category. With these achievements, the main target for 2026 is to accelerate social forestry business groups towards the gold or independent level through consolidation and strengthening the supporting ecosystem. The forest area in Lampung Province covers 1,004,735 hectares, equivalent to 28.45 percent of the province’s territory. Of this area, approximately 564,954 hectares fall under the authority of the Lampung provincial government, while the remainder is under the authority of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Based on forest management across 17 Technical Implementation Units for Forest Management Units (UPTD KPH) in Lampung Province, 488,359 hectares, or 86.44 percent, of the provincial government’s forest area is categorised as blocks that can be utilised either through business permits or Social Forestry. Human activity is already largely present in these blocks. To address human activity within forest areas, Lampung Province has launched the Social Forestry Programme in accordance with applicable regulations.