InfoSAWIT, ACEH TAMIANG – Indonesia’s sustainable palm oil movement is expanding beyond plantation management into broader environmental restoration, as Forum Petani Kelapa Sawit Berkelanjutan Indonesia and independent Smallholders in Aceh Tamiang launched a farmer-led land rehabilitation initiative aimed at creating a more resilient and regenerative plantation ecosystem.

The initiative emerged in response to severe flooding that struck Aceh in late 2025. Environmental degradation in upstream watersheds, forest cover loss, and land conversion were identified as contributing factors that weakened ecological resilience.

In response, FORTASBI and local Smallholder group Tenggulun Lestari are developing a model that integrates conservation, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration into palm plantation governance.

A central component is the establishment of nurseries for forest species and native Acehnese fruit trees—including mango, mangosteen, durian, teak, petai, cinnamon, and rambutan—to support revegetation of degraded and high-conservation-value areas.

FORTASBI Secretariat Head Rukaiyah Rafik said the model will be expanded nationwide.

“This land protection and rehabilitation model will continue to be developed among FORTASBI members and promoted as an Agro-Biodiversity model. It is part of navigating independent Smallholders from sustainable palm certification toward sustainable landscapes,” she said.

With approximately 2.7 million Smallholders managing around 41% of Indonesia’s total oil palm area, FORTASBI believes community-led rehabilitation can become a major force in ecosystem recovery and climate mitigation. (T2)