Synergizing Food Security with Forest Conservation: Preliminary Insights from Social Forestry Implementation in Riau, Indonesia

Abstract

Amidst food security challenges faced by Indonesia, policies to address them may come at the expense of forest ecosystems. Social Forestry (SF) program provides a potential solution to synergize forest conservation and food security objectives in Indonesia by allowing local communities to manage and protect the local forests. However, there is limited evidence on how the synergy is realized within the SF implementation on the ground. The study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating community-based practices, efforts, and challenges in line with the pathways connecting forest conservation and food security in three SF sites in Riau, Indonesia. Relevant data are collected through stakeholder interviews, field observation, and spatial analysis; and further triangulated through literature review. While SF ecosystems at the study sites provide food and income sources and help build climate resilience for the local and indigenous communities, challenges remain in improving the value added and market access of local forest products; incentivizing forest-based food subsistence potential in line with the site-specific practices; and, in some areas, reducing the rate of forest loss. The policy implications and recommendations for improvement are provided.