COLLABORATION TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE BALANCE BETWEEN FOREST AND PALM OIL

Located in Palangka Raya, in mid-August 2025, WWF-Indonesia organized a stakeholder meeting related to the implementation of the Benah Term Strategy (SJB) collaboratively with the local government, academics, and social forestry stakeholders as a space for dialogue to harmonize roles, strengthen coordination, and formulate technical implementation steps in the field.

Palm oil plantations are an important aspect of Central Kalimantan's economy, contributing up to 25% to the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and providing employment for the community. However, major challenges arise when the presence of oil palm plantations in forest areas impacts global environmental issues such as biodiversity loss and climate crisis. As a more adaptive transition approach, the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government is promoting the Benah Term Strategy (SJB), as an effort to improve the structure and function of forest ecosystems through oil palm agroforestry techniques, which transform monoculture oil palm plantations into complex agroforestry without sudden land clearing.

In the first session, speakers from the government, academics, and WWF-Indonesia explained about policy developments, implementation challenges, and opportunities for the application of SJB in other national programs such as Folu Net Sink and experiences in the field. The activity continued with an interactive discussion guided by the moderator, where participants jointly identified field constraints, institutional support needs, and a clearer division of roles between parties.

The implementation of SJB can now legally be applied to Social Forestry areas. In this transition process, stakeholders are working to harmonize monitoring and management mechanisms to run according to institutional standards. The synergy between the central and local governments is very important, especially in the preparation and ratification of technical instruments such as technical guidelines (Juknis) or official SOPs that will serve as joint operational guidelines.

At the site level, the challenges faced are not only administrative, but also involve farmers' perceptions of the productivity of agroforestry systems. For this reason, collaboration with academics such as Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and Palangka Raya University (UPR) needs to be strengthened to present scientific evidence that forestry plants such as meranti can grow alongside oil palm and have the potential to support long-term productivity. Government support in providing quality forestry seeds is also an important recommendation.

Through this forum, WWF-Indonesia and all stakeholders present emphasized the importance of integrating SJB into regional planning documents such as RPJMD so that budget support and work programs are more structured. Clarity on the division of roles "who does what" is key in ensuring effective implementation. By viewing Jangka Benah as a long-term investment, not just a curbing instrument, the spirit of cross-sector collaboration is expected to realize the vision of "Prosperous People, Sustainable Forest" in Central Kalimantan.