The application of Jangka Benah is expected to not only contribute to the economic improvement of farmers, but also play a role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation.

Agriculture and plantations are the main sectors of livelihood for people in Jambi Province, with palm oil as the main commodity. Many communities depend on oil palm plantations, both as independent farmers and in partnership schemes with large companies. 

Based on data from the Jambi Provincial Statistics Agency, the area of oil palm plantations in Jambi Province in 2020 reached 1.1 million hectares. Of the total, 150,000 hectares are plasma oil palm plantations, 400,000 hectares are community-owned oil palm plantations managed independently, and the rest are company-owned plantations. 

In Tebo District alone, the area of smallholder plantation crops for oil palm reaches 101.32 thousand hectares. The existence of oil palm plantations in forest areas poses various challenges, both in terms of legality, productivity, and environmental sustainability. In addition to causing deforestation and ecosystem damage, this practice also increases the risk of ecological disasters such as floods and droughts, and threatens biodiversity in the region.

In response to this problem, since the beginning of 2025, Pundi Sumatra through the Kokke programme with the support of the EU through WWF Indonesia has developed a demonstration plot of the Benah Term Strategy in Suo-Suo Village, Tebo Regency, Jambi Province. The Jangka Benah Strategy is a phased approach that aims to restore the ecological function of forest areas that have been degraded due to monoculture palm oil expansion, while ensuring the economic sustainability of the community through agroforestry systems. 

Implementasi Program 

Term benah is an approach to solving the problem of community plantations and overlapping business licences in forest areas. There are 2 cooperatives with HTR permits that are targeted by the project where in implementing this strategy, Pundi Sumatra does not only rely on technical approaches, but also empowers the community or cooperative members as permit recipients. 

There are two main components in this project, namely the construction of a 50 hectare demonstration plot area with the insertion of wood and fruit plant seeds as agreed, so that in the future it can resemble a natural forest structure. As well as component 2 which focuses on activities to initiate a long-term working group at the Jambi provincial level. 

The SJB demonstration plot development project will also provide education and capacity building to farmers through a long-term field school. This activity will be supported by a team of academics from Jambi University, Brawijaya University and Gadjah Mada University regarding the development of more environmentally friendly and sustainable agroforestry practices. 

This approach ensures that the community is not only the beneficiary of the Jangka Benah programme, but also the main actor in preserving the environment and improving their lives independently.

In the first phase, the team mobilised in early 2025, approaching the community through formal and informal meetings on several occasions. This process was conducted in parallel to gain a deeper understanding of the community's perspectives and views on the programme issues, and to build agreement on implementation mechanisms including community approval of the programme. 

Surveys and mapping were also conducted to ensure that the agreed member's garden area became part of the demonstration plot area. This included establishing agreements on seed types, planting systems and the need for capacity building in the process. 

At the end of February, Pundi Sumatra held a socialisation and FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) to ensure that the community understood and agreed to the programme plan. Representatives from KPH Tebo Timur, Jambi University, WWF Indonesia team and relevant village officials also attended the socialisation. 

Entering March 2025, the process began to move into the technical preparation stage of preparing the availability of seedlings. Facilitators began conducting seedling surveys, and working together with co-operative members in preparing temporary seedling rooting locations, before the seedlings were moved to members' gardens.

The application of Jangka Benah is expected to not only contribute to the economic improvement of farmers, but also play a role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. By multiplying plant species, this agroforestry model can increase carbon sequestration, improve soil structure, and create better habitat and ecosystem restoration. This is certainly in line with Indonesia's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as stated in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

In addition, agroforestry systems can increase the soil's capacity to absorb rainwater, reduce the risk of erosion, and prevent floods and droughts that often occur in areas previously dominated by monoculture plantations.

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