Bandung, December 29, 2025. The West Java Provincial Management Board of the Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association commemorated its 4th Anniversary at the Paguron Hall of Mekarjaya Village, Arjasari District, Bandung Regency. This event was attended by all Social Forestry Groups accompanied by the West Java BPP AP2SI, the National Management Board of the Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (BPN AP2SI), the West Java Provincial Forestry Service (Dishut Jabar), the West Java Banten Social Forestry Center (BPS Jabar Banten), the Natural Resources Conservation Center Region 2 (BBKSDA), and the Young Farmers.
In commemoration of the Anniversary of the Indonesian Social Forestry Farmers Alliance (AP2SI) of West Java, AP2SI West Java held a series of activities that were not only ceremonial, but also emphasized the direction of the forest farmer movement amidst the increasingly apparent ecological and social crisis.
The event to commemorate the anniversary of BPP AP2SI this time carried the theme "Forest Farmers Aware of Ecological Disasters and Climate Change" with a series of quite interesting events. The event opened with a Workshop "Forest Farmers Under the Threat of Ecological Disasters and Climate Resilience" which was guided directly by Dadang Sudarja (Wa Dadang), a workshop that brought together social forestry farmers, environmental activists, and community facilitators. This workshop became a space for sharing knowledge as well as consolidating ideas regarding strengthening social forestry management that is equitable, sustainable, and adaptive to the threat of ecological disasters and climate change.
As a demonstration of cross-regional solidarity, AP2SI West Java also distributed humanitarian aid to disaster victims in Sumatra. This assistance symbolizes that the struggle of forest farmers extends beyond land and policy issues, but also includes humanitarian values and solidarity with disaster-affected communities in various regions.
The series of events then continued with the cutting of a tumpeng (rice cone) to mark the organization's anniversary and journey. This moment was not merely a celebration, but a reflection on the collective work of social forestry farmers who have persevered amid structural pressures, tenurial conflicts, and policy uncertainty.
The Forest Farmers who participated in the series of events also participated in the declaration of forest farmers being aware of ecological disasters and climate change, where the farmers agreed that the disasters that are currently occurring in Indonesia are the result of the failure of spatial planning and forest area management, in addition to that, the forest farmers are committed to rejecting extractive, exploitative forest management and sacrificing ecological safety.
As a concrete commitment to environmental restoration, the West Java chapter of the Indonesian Association of Forestry (AP2SI) held a tree planting campaign. This activity emphasized the role of social forestry farmers as the frontline in protecting forests, restoring ecosystems, and reducing the risk of increasingly frequent ecological disasters.
The anniversary celebrations culminated in a reflection session and open discussion on AP2SI West Java's achievements throughout 2025. The forum discussed various organizational accomplishments, from strengthening the farmer base and advocating for social forestry policies to AP2SI West Java's role in regional ecological justice issues. The discussion also served as a platform for critical evaluation and the sharpening of AP2SI West Java's future direction.
Through this anniversary commemoration, AP2SI West Java affirms its commitment to continue standing with forest farmers, fighting for fair forest management, and taking an active role in responding to the ecological and humanitarian crises occurring in Indonesia.
