On Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at the West Java Forestry Office in Bandung, an event was held to present the partnership in community forest management. The presentation by the Kanopi Foundation team is part of the development of the Community Forest Management Policy in West Java to identify and analyze partnerships that can be established between Forest Farmer Groups (KTH) and forest product management industries, especially timber.
The presentation was conducted both offline and online. It was attended by the Head of the West Java Forestry Office along with officials, the Heads of Branch Offices of Forestry in Regions I – IX, their staff, the organizing team, and other stakeholders.
One of the follow-up plans for this policy is the institutional strengthening with group mentoring and the certification of community forest management areas using certification schemes such as SVLK or other voluntary schemes like IFCC – PEFC certification. (Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation – Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification).
PT ISE as a Certification Body was given the opportunity to provide an explanation about the types and certification processes. Muhamad Zakir and Dani Suhardani represented PT ISE and provided information and explanations regarding the history, commitment, and certification services offered by PT ISE that are relevant to the follow-up plans for community forest management.
PT ISE was established in 2014 as a Timber Legality Verification Body (LVLK). In line with the desire to further participate in national development through certification schemes, its certification scope expanded to include being a Tourism Business Certification Body (LSUP), a Sustainable Production Forest Management Assessment Body (LP PHPL), and later, an ISPO Certification Body. (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil), and as a Certification Body CoC (Chain of Custody) dan Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) skema IFCC- PEFC.
IFCC-PEFC is an international certification scheme aimed at preserving forest sustainability, widely accepted by industries and purchasers of forest products in various countries around the world.
PT ISE took the opportunity to also inform about the existence of a cooperative in Kebumen Regency, which consists of KTH members. This cooperative has obtained IFCC-PEFC CoC certification and is in the process of obtaining SFM IFCC-PEFC certification from ISE Certification. The gathering of KTH under a cooperative framework can strengthen the bargaining position of forest farmers and, of course, has advantages as an institution in fostering improved welfare for forest farmers. Meanwhile, the benefit for the wood industry is the consistency and continuity of the supply of quality wood. Cooperatives like this can serve as an alternative model for community forest partnership schemes in West Java. This model appears to be of interest to participants and may be pursued in the initial stages with benchmarking studies.
In addition, PT ISE also presented data on primary and secondary industries that are SVLK certified with their main source of raw materials coming from community forests. These industries are located in various areas in West Java, ranging from Banjar, Ciamis, Tasikmalaya, Garut, Cimahi, to Bogor and Bekasi, with the highest concentration of wood industries found in Cirebon.
PT ISE is ready to collaborate with the Forestry Department of West Java in certification, exploring partnership opportunities with industries, and conducting benchmarking to support the sustainability of community forests and efforts to enhance economic benefits for community forests and the wood industry.
