Innovative agroforestry development in private forest through community partnership

Abstract

Management of private forests in general is still traditional with various weaknesses of the farmers, including the limited area of private forests ranging from 0.25 – 1 hectare and in general they are not located in one stretch. Therefore, the results of private forest management have not fully provided proper income for farmers, namely in the range of 20-30 percent. Referring to an MTG (Master Tree Grower) approach, innovation was carried out in the development of agroforestry models in private forests by involving neighboring farmers in the form of farmer-to-farmer mentoring (F2FM) through community partnerships. The innovations carried out are in the form of implementing training results and increasing the capacity of private forest farmers to be market oriented in managing forests. Research was conducted in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi in 2018 which aims to find opportunities to increase farmers’ income through the development of innovative agroforestry. The research applied training, interview, observation and FGD (Focus Group Discussion) methods. The results of the research show that there is a change in the orientation of farmers in managing their forests and there are opportunities to increase income from these forests. Innovative agroforestry development can be an option for farmers to increase their income from private forest management.