Ecobiz.asia – Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry (MoF) is strengthening science based forestry cooperation with France’s CIRAD to support climate change mitigation and sustainable forest management.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the ministry welcomes further technical cooperation with CIRAD, noting that the scope of collaboration aligns with the Ministry of Forestry’s mandate, particularly in conservation, social forestry, and climate change.
The cooperation follows up on the Declaration of Intent on Sustainable Forestry signed by Indonesia and France on May 28, 2025, which outlines collaboration in sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape restoration, forest monitoring and fire prevention, social forestry, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, including non carbon benefits.
Raja Juli Antoni said the Social Forestry program could serve as an initial platform for cooperation. Under the program, communities have been granted access to manage around 8.33 million hectares of forest areas, benefiting about 1.4 million permit holders and supporting the establishment of 16,754 Social Forestry Business Groups.
“I hope we can establish a joint working group, starting with social forestry and conservation,” he said after a bilateral meeting with CIRAD Chief Executive Officer Elisabeth Claverie de Saint-Martin in Jakarta on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
He added that cooperation with research institutions such as CIRAD is expected to strengthen technical and methodological capacity through training programs, workshops, and limited scale pilot activities.
Elisabeth Claverie de Saint-Martin said Indonesia’s tropical forests hold high scientific and economic value, and that agroforestry systems applied under social forestry schemes can support community livelihoods while maintaining forest cover.
She said tropical forests in regions such as Indonesia, the Congo Basin, and the Amazon Basin are important not only for conservation but also for agriculture through agroforestry systems. She cited cocoa as an example of an agroforestry commodity that can grow under forest canopies while delivering strong economic value.
Elisabeth also said CIRAD has extensive resources to support research on climate change impacts on forest ecosystems.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Forestry, including directors general responsible for sustainable forest management, natural resources and ecosystem conservation, and social forestry, as well as representatives from the French Embassy in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Forestry said it remains open to constructive and measurable international cooperation aimed at supporting sustainable forest management, climate change action, and community welfare. ***
