Ministry of Forestry Promotes IAD Development in NTT through Bamboo Commodities

Labuan Bajo, NTT (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry is encouraging the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) government to implement Integrated Area Development (IAD) policies to optimise the potential of bamboo commodities as part of the social forestry programme.

The Director General of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Forestry, Catur Endah Prasetiani, stated in Labuan Bajo, NTT, on Thursday, that through the IAD scheme, social forestry management will be more integrated within broader landscape management, thereby possessing higher economic bargaining power.

“I challenge West Manggarai Regency, for example, to establish its IAD because the bamboo potential here is extraordinary. With IAD, it is easier to collaborate across sectors, including with the Ministry of Villages and the Ministry of Cooperatives,” said Catur.

She explained that the current market demands three main aspects: uniform quality, sufficient quantity, and supply continuity.

These three elements are considered difficult to fulfil if farmer groups work independently without regional integration regulated under the IAD scheme.

Catur assessed that bamboo commodities in NTT, particularly through the “Mama Bambu” movement, have great potential to penetrate international markets.

This is evidenced by several overseas exhibitions in Osaka and Seoul, which demonstrated high market interest in sustainable bamboo products from NTT.

In addition to commercial aspects, the strength of social forestry products also lies in the narrative or story behind them.

According to her, products produced by women with a spirit of environmental conservation have very high added value in the eyes of global consumers.

The Ministry of Forestry is committed to facilitating the formalisation of IAD cooperation processes to serve as a legal umbrella for regional development based on community welfare and forest conservation, with the hope that restorative economy can grow from upstream-to-downstream collaborations in the region.