28th March 2024
New Zealand Government funds customary forest protection in West Kalimantan
Farmers for Forest Protection Foundation (4F) have received NZ$24,800 to support forest conservation with the local communities in Sanggau and Sekadau Districts, West Kalimantan.
“The funding will have a big impact on protecting the remaining customary forest in Sanggau and Sekadau, and on the lives of the village communities. They have been struggling for many years to protect the forests that are essential for their culture, livelihoods and spiritual wellbeing. We thank and appreciate the generous support from the New Zealand Head of Embassy Fund.” said Tirza Pandelaki, Executive Director of 4F.
“Farmers for Forest Protection Foundation or 4F has received the funds and is acting as an intermediary to facilitate the support being provided to the two districts. We’re focused on having direct impacts on-the-ground and partnering with the local smallholders and Indigenous communities. And this contributes greatly to continuing our programmes to support marginalized smallholders to conserve forests, to produce commodities free from deforestation, bringing consumers and other concerned stakeholders to work together to address this important issue for a better world we live in,” added Aida Greenbury, a member of the foundation’s Board of Trustees.
The funding will be used to provide Incentive and Benefit (I&B) support for the protection of High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest and High Conservation Value (HCV) areas in Gunam village (Sanggau) and Setawar village (Sekadau), including training and deployment of forest guards, village-based customary forest management support, local forest regulation support, forest monitoring, and training and implementing Good Agricultural Practices. This follows a full participatory assessment of the village lands and natural resources carried out in partnership with SPKS (Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders Union).
“The New Zealand Embassy through the Head of Embassy Fund – HEF, is glad to support this activity from the Farmers for Forest Protection Foundation (4F) which aligns with Aotearoa New Zealand development cooperation policy for sustainable development. Aotearoa New Zealand recognises the importance of local solutions, reflecting that many communities have been adapting to living with the impacts of climate change for decades. This includes supporting partnerships that focus on including and supporting the most vulnerable people and Communities. We wish the
4F team and partners for this activity great success ahead.” said a New Zealand Embassy
spokesperson.
“We thank the New Zealand Government for supporting our efforts to protect our forests. We know that the New Zealand Government is a strong supporter of sustainable development including consideration of peoples’ heritage and customary values. We hope that our efforts to
conserve our forests can generate added value and our products can be well received in the market, to support our efforts to keep our forests sustainable and continue to be maintained from generation to generation.” said Beatus Pius Onomuo, a leader of a Dayak Indigenous clan in Sanggau district, West Kalimantan, where some of the funding will be used.
For more information contact:
Ms Tirza Pandelaki, Executive Director, 4F. Ph: +62 813 42920706
More Information on 4F:
4F is a registered Foundation in Indonesia. 4F is the only foundation platform established by and for Indonesian smallholders. It connects smallholders with markets, producers, governments, and other stakeholders. 4F is solely designed as a funding channel to efficiently transfer finance for support for smallholders, including Indigenous smallholders, who are protecting their forests. The core work of 4F, as a connecting intermediary, is to receive, manage, distribute, verify, monitor and report on finance that provides support to smallholders.
More Information on SPKS:
SPKS is a non-governmental organisation established in 2006 in Bogor Indonesia and is committed to deforestation-free. SPKS was initiated by groups of independent oil palm smallholders from various regions in Indonesia who are concerned about the dynamics in the Palm Oil Plantation sector on economic, social and environmental aspects. Currently, SPKS has 76,000 oil palm smallholder members spread across 18 districts and 8 provinces.
