Kampung Adat Kuta's Social Forestry Programme Trains Child Honey Entrepreneurs

A Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) in Kampung Adat Kuta, Ciamis Regency, West Java, is training schoolchildren to develop a savings mindset from an early age through a honey entrepreneurship programme. Firman Khabibi, Secretary of Kampung Adat Kuta, explained that the Ministry of Forestry provided initial training to the children over approximately one week. Subsequently, parents who are members of the KUPS continued the guidance to ensure the honey business could generate profit.

‘This is a bee garden, and the surrounding plants are food for the bees. We received training on empowerment for the children for a week. We started from scratch, initially given just three beehive boxes, and now we have 18,’ Firman said in Kampung Adat Kuta on Monday. ‘If we manage honey properly, it can yield economic profit. Eventually, the children don’t need to ask their parents for pocket money; they can take it from the business.’ He stressed that the programme is educational, not exploitative. ‘We educate them to be grateful and to understand how their parents earn money. We are not exploiting children to work, which is a concern. We want to involve them, but it is about education, so they appreciate the effort of earning money rather than just asking for it at school.’

Firman noted that the total income of KUPS in Kampung Adat Kuta can exceed Rp1 billion per year, with profits returning to the community to help fund children’s education, including university. Specifically for honey, it is packaged in 250 ml jars and sold for Rp250,000 each. There are seven KUPS in Kampung Adat Kuta covering various types of businesses, including honey, palm sugar, coffee, snacks, souvenirs, environmental services such as waste sorting and composting, and goat trading.

According to Ministry of Forestry data, national social forestry coverage reached approximately 8.3 million hectares as of June 2026, involving around 1.4 million families, with more than 11,000 permits issued under various schemes. The Ministry categorises KUPS development into several tiers: Blue for groups newly receiving a Ministerial Decree, Silver after they have the decree and have completed planning, Gold when the business is operational, and Platinum for groups that are fully self-sufficient. Kampung Adat Kuta is among those progressing towards self-sufficiency.