Flash News
infosawit

Plan to Open Forests for Food Security Highlighted by Indonesian Parliament



Doc. Special/Slamet, a member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).
Plan to Open Forests for Food Security Highlighted by Indonesian Parliament

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The government's plan through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) to open 12 to 20 million hectares of forest land to support national food and energy sovereignty programs has garnered serious attention from Slamet, a member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). He emphasized that this program must be carefully designed based on comprehensive studies to avoid negative impacts on the environment and society.

According to KLHK, approximately 1.1 million hectares of forest land planned for conversion has the potential to produce up to 3.5 million tons of rice per year. This initiative is part of the expansion of the food estate program down to the village level to strengthen national food security.

While supporting the government's vision, Slamet reminded that the implementation of this program must be measured and consider various risks, such as land conflicts and environmental damage. "I fully support the government's vision of achieving food sovereignty. However, I urge the Ministry of Forestry to translate this vision into measurable programs to avoid creating new issues," he stated in a press release quoted by InfoSAWIT on Saturday (January 11, 2025).

Slamet also highlighted the importance of maintaining ecological balance in executing this program . He warned that forest destruction could impact water availability for agriculture, ultimately counterproductive to the goal of food security itself. "The Ministry of Forestry should not follow trends blindly. Its contribution to supporting food self-sufficiency must ensure that forests remain intact and sustainable. If forests are damaged, water availability for agricultural production could be compromised," Slamet, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), asserted.

Furthermore, Slamet proposed that the government prioritize the use of non-productive land outside forest areas to support food self-sufficiency programs. He believes that optimizing abandoned land outside forest areas is a more sustainable solution. "Forests are a vital asset for the sustainability of our natural resources. There are still many lands outside forest areas that are unproductive and abandoned, which can be optimized for food production," he concluded.

The plan to convert forest land continues to be a topic of discussion across various sectors. The government is expected to adopt a balanced approach between meeting food needs and preserving the environment to ensure the sustainability of Indonesia's natural resources in the future. (T2)

 


READ MORE ON GOOGLE NEWS.