Agroforestry: perspectives and performance in Indonesia

N Sakuntaladewi, 'Agroforestry: perspectives and performance in Indonesia', p.1, 2009

As an agrarian country, it is ironical that Indonesia has been importing food (rice, corn, wheat, beans etc.) for its people. From 1996 to 2005, the government spent 14.7 trillion annually to import food. The 3 need for water to irrigate agricultural land had also increased 10% per year from 74.9 billion m in 1990 to 391.5 billi on m in 2000. The agricultural land had decreased 0,17 % per year from 2000 to 2005. More land is needed to fulfill the needs of around 220 milli on Indonesia people, whom about 48.8 million people (12%) live in and around state forest area, and 10 .2 million people are in poor economic condition. With the tot al area of 120 million hectares (62% of the total country land), this state forest has i mportant functions and roles as a life support ing system and a sources of food and energy, parti cularly for the peopl e living in around the forest area. Currently the state forest is managed mostly f or timber production , protection and conservation. There is a need t o re-define t he function of the state fores t. Agroforestry has been p racticed for decades by many Indonesians. It is one of the ways in optimizing t he use of land fo r various purposes. What are the concern and knowledge of the community and the government in managing and in i nvolving agroforestry i n the state fo rest? To what ext ent has the agroforestry been practiced in t he state's forest s? What are the challenges?