By Zakiy Rabbaanii, GLFx Java
Under the soft glow of the morning sun, Nia begins her day gazing at her yard, once crowded with a temporary nursery for 350 multipurpose tree species planted by a group of forest farmers working together to restore the land.
Nia is a forest farmer in Padasenang, a village nestled in the Sukabumi Regency of Java, Indonesia, and home to generations of forest farmers who have depended on the land for generations – long before Padasenang was officially recognized in 1980.
Yet, for many, farming is not just a livelihood but a daily negotiation with the land’s legal status and imposed classifications that define how people can cultivate.
Padasenang’s forests have long been under state control, a legacy of the colonial era when Dutch East Indies authorities imposed structured forest management.
After independence, officials gradually imposed policies aimed at protecting land and allowing commercial forestry. However, many forest farmers lost access to land they’d worked on for generations.
Today, land is divided into Other Use Areas (APL) and forest estates — the latter subject to strict regulations. This classification means that forest farmers must navigate complex bureaucratic processes to maintain their agricultural activities.
While recent policy shifts have introduced community-based forestry programs such as social forestry, implementation gaps remain.
In Padasenang, forest farmers have taken matters into their own hands.
Community-led forest village institutions have become crucial in helping residents negotiate land use rights and maintain farming practices. One such institution, LMDH Tani Sejati, serves as a mediator between policy frameworks and local realities, ensuring that forest farmers have a voice in land management discussions.
Women play an especially critical role in this process. Beyond their contributions to household economies, they actively participate in farming, from land preparation to harvest.
“We don’t just farm; we organize, we negotiate and we ensure that our families can thrive,” says Nia.
Dian, the head of LMDH Tani Sejati, emphasizes the importance of the community-led initiative. “Farmers here understand their land better than anyone. When decisions are made without us, they often fail. That’s why we step in – to grab every opportunity.”
Despite these grassroots efforts, many challenges persist. Regulations still dictate what can be cultivated and where, and they don’t always match the needs of local forest farmers. Programs designed to integrate communities into forest management exist on paper but can be difficult to access due to administrative hurdles and limited outreach.
“We hear about programs meant to help farmers, but actually benefiting from them is another story,” says Jaka, a forest farmer who has spent years working in Padasenang’s forest estate and was the first to introduce cattle farming in the area.
Over the decades, land use classifications have altered the landscape, limiting farmers’ access to land and aid programs beyond the forestry sector. In some areas, declining soil fertility is also making farming increasingly challenging. As a result, land productivity has declined, and degradation has worsened.
To cope, forest farmers are increasingly relying on chemical inputs to boost yields, albeit without consistent success.
One initiative aimed at addressing these challenges is the Forest Area with Special Management (KHDPK) policy, which provides alternative management approaches for forest estates. A key scheme under KHDPK, planned for the island of Java, focuses on expanding social forestry.
While KHDPK aims to balance land restoration with local livelihoods, its success depends on how well it integrates community participation and adapts to local circumstances. Forest farmers in Padasenang are cautiously optimistic but remain concerned about the complexity of securing access to land under this framework.
Despite the obstacles, the people of Padasenang remain forward-thinking.
LMDH Tani Sejati and GLFx Java have recently launched a restoration initiative that seeks to comply with regulations, create new opportunities for more secure access to the forest estate and adapt to KHDPK policy. A group of 30 forest farmers working with GLFx Java have achieved a 90-percent success rate from planting 350 multi-purpose tree species.
These farmers represent various forest farmer subgroups, all working to align with social forestry guidelines while ensuring long-term land productivity and economic stability.
“We saw what was happening with the soil, with the degradation, and we knew we had to act,” says Sigit, Padasenang’s village secretary, who has been involved in the initiative from the start.
“This isn’t just about planting trees; it’s about making sure our children can still farm here.”
To combat land degradation, forest farmers have begun planting sengon and mahogany to improve soil stability, prevent erosion and provide timber for domestic use. They are also cultivating avocado, soursop and salam (Indonesian bay leaf) for household consumption.
This community-led effort aligns with broader equity and sustainability goals by boosting women’s involvement in decision making as well as obtaining policy support to clearly implement KHDPK. This initiative could serve as a model for other forest farmer communities facing similar challenges.
“Anything that supports forest farmers’ livelihoods and improves land productivity – we make it happen,” says Dian, who initiated the restoration efforts.
This initiative is strengthening collectivism in agricultural governance, a key value the village government has been striving to support.
“If policies continue to evolve in a way that truly supports small farmers, we can build a more promising future,” says Soni, Padasenang’s village head.
Padasenang’s story is one of adaptation, resilience and the power of community. While history and policy have shaped the village’s landscape, it is the people – through their institutions, traditions and innovations – who are defining its future.
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