Integrated crop-livestock system helps Kukar residents conserve forests

The implementation of an agrosilvopastoral system that integrates cultivation agriculture and livestock farming within forest areas has become a solution for residents in Kutai Kartanegara Regency (Kukar), East Kalimantan, to improve family economic welfare whilst simultaneously maintaining environmental sustainability. “This strategy of integrating natural resource utilisation primarily aims to empower local communities so they can obtain sustainable economic benefits without damaging the forest ecosystem cover,” said Rusmadi, Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Forestry Service, in Samarinda on Saturday. One manifestation of this integrated environmental conservation and economic empowerment effort is being implemented by members of the Bila Talang Madeng Village Institution in Tabang District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency. Through assistance from the Regional Technical Implementation Unit for Production Forest Management of the East Kalimantan Forestry Service, community groups managing 646 hectares of production forest are gradually combining the planting of food commodities with livestock rearing on the same production land area. The food crops include vegetables and spices such as cayenne pepper. “The participatory learning methods we provide include direct practical demonstrations in the field so that farmers truly understand how to balance land productivity with the ecological functions of trees,” said Rusmadi. According to him, the combination of three elements—agricultural crops, silvicultural tree stands, and grazing pasture areas—has proven effective in improving the quality of critical soil nutrients. Rusmadi explained that this integrated spatial management approach also plays an important role in minimising the risk of material losses for farmers due to pest attacks or plant diseases that often afflict conventional farming systems. “The implementation of social forestry with this agrosilvopastoral scheme is a form of collaboration between government apparatus and village self-help groups to ensure the continuity of biological ecosystems,” he said. The comprehensive technical knowledge gained from the area management training provided by the East Kalimantan Forestry Service has transformed the traditional mindset of forest-edge residents into independent, environmentally friendly entrepreneurs.