Forestry Ministry Identifies 1.1M Hectares for Coffee, Nutmeg, Cocoa

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Forestry has identified 1.1 million hectares of social forestry land for the cultivation of high-value commodities such as coffee, nutmeg, and cocoa. The initiative aims to improve the welfare of communities living near forests while supporting Indonesia’s national food self-sufficiency agenda.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said his ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the development of plantation commodities is integrated and productive.

“There are 1.1 million hectares of social forestry identified for planting coffee, nutmeg, and then chocolate,” he said on the sidelines of a workshop titled “Moving from the Site: Sowing Inclusive Social Forestry for Sustainable Forests and Prosperous Communities” in Jakarta on Thursday, February 19, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The total area under the social forestry program has now reached 8.3 million hectares. The program is managed as part of a community empowerment effort that prioritizes forest preservation and environmental sustainability.

By applying an agroforestry model, the ministry aims to balance economic benefits with ecological health. “God willing, the community will be empowered, and their welfare will increase, but the forest will also remain sustainable,” Minister Raja Juli Antoni added.

He noted that the exact locations for the newly identified 1.1 million hectares have not yet been specified.

This forestry initiative complements the Ministry of Agriculture’s broader strategy.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman previously announced an allocated budget of approximately IDR 9.95 trillion for national plantation development in 2026. The program will cover 870,000 hectares across Indonesia, focusing on the downstream processing of commodities such as coffee, coconut, cocoa, and avocado.

Beyond economic objectives, plantation programs in high-altitude areas serve an environmental function by acting as natural erosion barriers to prevent landslides and floods. “This program is under the direction of the President. We will plant plantation crops this year for downstreaming; this also functions to prevent erosion,” Minister Amran said in a recent statement at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta. ***