Following the Introduction Workshop for Village Facilitators in Tanah Papua, Theodorus Tethool S.Sos., a facilitator working in the village of Yanggandur, one of the villages that are being supported by FORCLIME and the Wasur National Park in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, recently completed an initial survey of Yanggandur’s forest farmer groups (KTH). The survey, which was undertaken from 1 - 2 August 2023, aimed to identify available community groups in the village and included an evaluation of KTH administration, as well as the types of business products on offer and their marketing. During these two days of activity, Theodorus held meetings and discussions with the Head of Yanggandur Village, KTH Empi Wae Tetepuh (which means, “A group of one heart for a good reason”) and KTH Sederhana.

KTH Empi Wae Tetepuh has 11 members and sells various products, including honey, shredded torajan snakehead fish (gastor), buah merah oil (oil made from Pandanus conoideus), candlenut oil, teh sarang semut (herbal tea made from Myrmecodia pendans) and propolis soap made from black honeybees. Meanwhile, KTH Sederhana has 15 members and sells similar products to Empi Wae Tetepuh KTH, with the addition of cassava and sweet potato chips, eucalyptus oil and virgin coconut oil (VCO).

The results of the initial survey included data on the institutional status of KTH, business products and their production and marketing. Despite the fact that KTH Sederhana has been able to market its products within Merauke and across the province and even at the national level through social media accounts (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook), marketing issues are still proving a challenge for the Yanggandur Village KTH. Another challenge relates to the need to strengthen organizational institutions and secure product licenses from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

Over the next six months, Theodorus will facilitate the two KTHs. During this assistance, the village facilitator, working together with the facilitated KTHs, will prepare a work plan that will include capacity-building activities aimed at boosting the sustainability of the farmers’ group’s business in the village.

For further information, please contact:
Theodorus Tethool, Yanggandur Village Facilitator
Ruben Yogi, GIS and Mapping Advisor
Rut Ohoiwutun, Community Forest and Customary Forest Advisor

Created: 14 August 2023

In an effort to improve coordination and synergy in relation to environmental and forestry development within the Papua ecoregion, the Ecoregion Development Center (P3E) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) held a Working Meeting on the Environmental and Forestry Development of the Papua Ecoregion from 10 – 11 August 2023 in Merauke, South Papua Province. The event was opened by the acting Governor of South Papua, Dr. Ir. Apolo Safanpo, and was attended by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Bambang Hendroyono, as well as by a number of Echelon II officials from the MoEF, the heads of various provincial services and all heads of the MoeF technical implementation units currently operating in Tanah Papua. The working meeting was organized in order to align activity programmes at the site level as a part of efforts aimed at preserving natural resources and the environment.

In his speech, the acting Governor of South Papua reminded the attendees that the main priority during the management of natural resources must be to increase the capacity of the available human resources, "Natural resources must be used wisely and we should work to increase human resource capacity."

In the minutes of the working meeting, FORCLIME 4.0 activities in Tanah Papua were explained, as well as the hope that the various assistance activities being implemented by Forest Farmer Groups/Social Forestry Business Groups would continue into the future. These activities include the identification of training requirements in relation to mapping for staff of the planning department of Forest Management Units (KPH). In addition, there are also tentative plans for competency development to be undertaken by FORCLIME, which will continue various assistance activities for Forest Farmer Groups/Social Forestry Business Groups within Papua Province (in collaboration with the Papua Forestry and Environment Service, the Center for Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships - BPSKL - Maluku and Papua, and the Center for Conservation and Natural Resources - BBKSDA - Papua) and Southwest Papua (in collaboration with BPSKL Maluku and Papua, KPH Tambrauw and KPH Sorong Selatan), as well as Geographic Information System training for KPH Forest Planning staff in Papua and Southwest Papua Provinces.

For further information, please contact:
Pipin Permadi, Senior Adviser for Forest Policy
Mohammad Sidiq, Strategic Area Manager for Sustainable Forest Management and Coordinator for Tanah Papua

Created: 12 August 2023

With the purpose of offering support aimed at improving the welfare of forest farmers working within the province of Central Sulawesi, FORCLIME, working in collaboration with the Central Sulawesi Forestry Service, recently organized a series of training sessions on Digital Marketing for community development mentors from Forest Management Units (KPH), the administrators of forest farmers’ groups and Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS). The objective of these training sessions was to increase the competence of mentors and KUPS administrators as they work to expand marketing networks for farmers’ products through the application of digital technology. Basic Digital Marketing Training was held in September 2022, which was then followed up with coaching sessions in November 2022. Participants also formed a WhatsApp group in order to share experiences relating to the development of their digital marketing.

The basic training was followed up with Advanced Digital Marketing Training, which was held from 25 - 28 July 2023. This advanced training aimed to improve skills through the use of various digital marketing platforms, in addition to developing standard operating procedures for digital marketing-based business management.

In the wake of the completion of this advanced training session, participants will receive online coaching. During this activity, participants will also receive guidance on the preparation of digital marketing service procedures. In addition, an experience-sharing session is also planned with digital marketing participants from Papua Province, who will be able to both provide input and learn from each other.

For more information, please contact:
Muhammad Yusuf, Junior Advisor for Social Forestry and Sustainable Forest Management
Edy Marbyanto, Strategic Area Manager for Human Capacity Development

Created: 08 August 2023