Ministry of Forestry: Integrated agroforestry field schools boost community capacity

Director General of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Forestry, Catur Endah Prasetiani P, stated that the integrated agroforestry field school programme represents a step towards enhancing community capacity in sustainable forest management. Speaking in Bandarlampung on Wednesday, she noted that the implementation of social forestry programmes now consistently requires the creation of exemplary social forestry role models, which are designated as agroforestry field schools. She explained that the field school activity is currently being held in East Lampung Regency. “It was mentioned earlier that in East Lampung, with Gunung Balak, there is the famous Siger avocado; now we will try with its coffee and cacao. We have also collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and several parties to develop this, and a community already exists,” she said. The implementation of integrated agroforestry field schools can develop various types of field schools and also function as teaching sites for other groups. She explained that the integrated agroforestry field school will become a centre for agroforestry learning and innovation, featuring field classes, the implementation of multistrata agroforestry integrating trees with timber, fruit, spice, coffee, or cacao plants, the development of silvopasture integrating trees with fodder and livestock, beekeeping cultivation, downstream processing and business incubation, integrated fisheries development such as mina agroforestry, the application of independent energy, and serving as a hub for market information, partnerships, and investment for agroforestry products. “The goal is to increase community capacity in sustainable forest management, develop agroforestry-based businesses and environmental services, encourage innovation, downstream processing and business partnerships, as well as to realise community welfare and forest sustainability,” she added.