0446-A2

Research, Development and Utilization Strategy of Non Timber Forest Product: Indonesia Case

J. Malik & E.S. Sumadiwangsa ¹

Abstract

Forestry development in the past often forget that forest has multi-resources and multi-function, in addition to be inclining awkward with demarcation extremely on determination of forest function. As a consequence, it is over harvesting to forest production area but at the same time forest gives less economical benefit to rural livelihood around forest. The fact in the field proved that forest business is not efficient, less conservation, and less supporting to sustainable forestry development because of wood oriented extraction only.

Indonesia has known as a mega biodiversity country where grow more than 30.000 species of plant. Each of plant predicted contents 5 to 10 kind of chemical that able to be used as material of food, medicinal, pesticide, bond, tanner, etc. which its usage to cover all sorts of people life. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) have high commercial value and being relied on a source of foreign exchange for the country. NTFP species in Indonesia have long been exploited and harvested by the people living in the forest for daily life. Some of the NTFP are: rattan, bamboo, honey, food (carbohydrate, protein, fat), industrial raw material (latex, resin), cosmetic, essential oil, medicine and pesticide. Forest products that are consist of wood and NTFP, including environmental benefit, have different management characteristics based on the type of the product, uses, and conservation value.

The utilization of NTFP required an inventory on the productivity, product quality and product diversification, socio-economics impact resulted from the forest extraction (community participation, regulation and the rule, and socio economics diversification). A proper strategy on the research, development and utilization of NTFP will ultimately end on an efficient use of technology, economy development, socio culture empowering, introduction of sustainable and conservation aspects and a positive image of Indonesia's NTFP. If that strategy is applied consistently, it will not only help to improve livelihood, but also serve biological conservation goal gradually.

I. INTRODUCTION

Appropriate with the 45's Constitution section 33, forestry development is oriented to realize as great as possible the people prosperity. This idea will be achieved while forestry development is based on economy democratic that become a people economy activator with justice and sustainable.

Forestry development in the pass often forget that forest has multi-resources and multi-function, in addition to be inclined awkward with demarcation extremely in forest function determination. As a consequence, it is over harvesting in forest production area and at the same time forest gives less economical benefit to rural livelihood around forest. The fact in the field proved that forest business is not efficient, less conservation, and less supporting to sustainable forestry development because of wood oriented extraction. The implication are (Surjodibroto, 1999):

1. Not economic, contra-productive, not cooperative and incline as short-term forest business and unsustainable.

2. Forest business dominated by a little group of the people that consequence to a gap of asset/land distribution, people economy unempowering, not guarantee of evenly business distribution, close empowering small scale business, medium, and cooperative. In addition, traditional community where are in area and around of forest often be ignored and trigger a friction and conflict of land status.

3. There is a gap between central and district/provincial government.

The other strategic problems that faced sub sector of forestry are production aspect, marketing and environmental. For Indonesia, production aspect included after harvest handling technology, still being a difficult problem (Anonimous, 1999 and Sumadiwangsa, 1998a). In the future, marketing aspect problems would be more dominate. Market adjustment elements such as fare and non-fare, subsidy, protection and dumping, are a challenge and an opportunity too. These strategic problems would influence either straight or non straight to development direction of forestry sub sector. "Forest for People" that has stated on World Forestry Congress in Jakarta in 1978 is a forestry development concept and become problem solver concept today and in the next time.

Emergence of problems and issues in regional, national and international level of forestry development, demand new point of view and paradigm that forest as resource multiuse system and multiple interest. This view require holistic approach and appreciation of all stake holders. With the new paradigm, we sure that development direction of forestry industry as renewable resourced based industries would able to build economic fundamental strongly and side with the people (Nasution, 1999; Saragih, 1999; Surjodibroto, 1999). This condition would open NTFP opportunity to be concerned because has comparative excellent compared with timber and touch rural around forest.

Recently, research, development and utilization of NTFP should refer to forest development vision, namely, forest resource management for people prosperous based on ecosystem and biodiversity conservation that guarantee forest rural empowering. NTFP has primary and secondary product, in addition to special function with various species and its amount. It is very potential to empower rural forest economy. The excellent, up to date, useful and has multiplier effects researches, which impact to increase added value to rural forest livelihood, should to be effort (Sardjono, 1990 & 1996; Surjodibroto, 1999).

II. NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS RESOURCE

Forest as a grant and trusteeship of God is wealth and controlled state, must be grateful, managed and utilized optimal, in addition to be cared its sustainable for people prosperous, either recent or next generation.

Indonesia has wealth of biodiversity, the second biggest after Brazil or the first if marine biota taken into account. In Indonesia growth amount 30,000 - 40,000 species of plant scattered all archipelago. Each of plant predicted contents 5 to 10 kind of chemical that able to be used as material of food, medicinal, pesticide, bond, tanner, coloring material, etc. which its usage to cover all sorts of people life. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) have high commercial value and being relied on a source of foreign exchange for the country.

Indonesia forest resource has several characteristics that must be considered to decision and policy maker relate with the forest treatment. This concept relate to "Forest for Whom and for What?" (Clawson, 1975). The Forest characteristics as follow (Adosoemarto, 1992; Surjodibroto, 1998 & 1999) :

1) Forest is a resource system, not only as product wood but also as life buffer system, consist of resource units influence each other. Understanding change from wood to resource management has been going and consequence dynamic process on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) direst to social values, species diversity, regionality and ownership.

2) Tropical forest content biodiversity either flora or fauna, at the same moment form beneficial life chain. Species biodiversity of flora and fauna are valuable and useful. The biodiversity science has not plain in full natural resource riches yet.

3) Forest would be a renewable resource as long as not over exploitation. Forest resource utilization process need long term relatively compare to other exertion such as food plantation, need large investment, high risk and sensitive toward issues and market demand.

Forest product consist timber and non-timber including environmental service, have handling different characteristics depend on product type, uses, and sustainability value. Table 1 describes comparison of utilization characteristics of forest product, between wood and non-wood.

Table 1. Timber and non-timber forest products characteristics

NTFP also could be classified into multiuse forest product, because of giving multi benefit, i.e:

1. Commodity of foreign exchange
2. Increasing of people around forest earnings
3. Land rehabilitation, prevent to erosion, increasing of environment quality and water management.
4. Preventing and decreasing of cultivation
5. Keep urbanization down.

NTFP in Indonesia were classified into several groups based on utilization type as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Classifying and type of NTFP

III. CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY

Recently, chemical from plant more preferred than synthetic chemical, therefore, plant exploration in Indonesia must be done continually. This is urgent to reveal accurate information about plant species that produce medicine material, pesticide, color and other use. In several countries, NTFP become an urgent export commodities and a huge of rural ethnic people depend on NTFP for basic necessity life and livelihood (FAO, 1995).

It is ideal to explore all species plant effectiveness. The new idea would shorten research time without lessen result quality and quantity, is ethno-botanic approach. This method is worked by collecting sample that customary used people around forest as medicinal, pesticide/insecticide, tanner, sugar, color, etc. The sample observed its effectiveness and at the same time to look for possibility of product modification and diversification.

A NTFP commodity only could be assessed if its productivity known, either each stem or each species. The productivity also could be used to determine the quality and quantity end product. Productivity data of NTFP plant per tree or per species must be defined base on site, because either quality or quantity plant product defend on site (climate, land and bonita) and harvest manner.

Tengkawang, kemiri, canari, tamarind, duku, durian and the other species that produce fruit/seed, their productivity has not known yet accurately. The implication is no data of plant benefit such as volume and value of NTFP.

Indonesia dominated around 80 % world rattan potency, diver from Sumatera to Papua, moreover Indonesia have ever fulfilled 90 % of world market rattan and to involve around 150.000 employ. This predicate is not rightfully proud because of its processing still indicate early step; only approximately 1.5 % as finished product, 23.6 % as half-finished product and 74.9 % as raw material (Sumadhijo, 1995). In Indonesia grow 306 species of rattan which only 30 species are known and utilize commercially (Nasendi, 1995).

After "booming" period 1987-1989 (develop rattan processing industry on large scale), occurred sluggish in 1990-1993, where only had 12 new project and addition 3 capacity project. Whereas, in 1988 have ever had 54 new project all made at once (Nasendi, 1995). But, in 1999 almost of half rattan industry in Indonesia closed or change operation to other wood industry. Causes of that condition are missing demand and less of raw material. For rattan collector farmer, price of fresh rattan did not making up their economy, while demand to Indonesia rattan product increasing.

Volatile oil is still as NTFP mainstay beside rattan. It is used for fragrant and has very high price. From 70 kinds of volatile oil traded in the world, 40 kinds among them could be produced in Indonesia. Indonesia place sixth rank between 20 producer volatile oil countries, although Indonesia just fulfill 4.4 % of world volatile demand. This is still under of China, Europe Union, USA, Hongkong and Brazil.

The NTFP till harvested by traditional/local technology, and then traded as raw material or half-finished product. The consequence is very low added value for the farmer. Here is challenge for Indonesia's technologist. They must be created alternative technology to collect raw NTFP that would increase productivity. In processing aspect, it necessity to process raw NTFP material become finished product.

One of the recent problems is several plant NTFP experiencing scarcity, moreover extinction, among others other rasak resin, meat resin, pilau resin, camphor, frankensence, ketiau, balau, and sundik. Silviculture is needed to develop these species.

NTFP more involve people community around forest compared with timber forest product. This involvement is still necessity to be increased up to their livelihood increase too. Existing of institutional aspect, definite of size and land status and trade system would push the people to carry on NTFP.

IV. RESARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION OF NTFP IN INDONESIA

NTFP utilization requires inventory, productivity, quality, product diversification and analysis of socio-economic aspect toward consequence of NTFP extraction. The socio-economic aspect including community empowering, rule and socio-economic diversification.

Precise strategy of NTFP research, developing and utilization would implicate to efficiency technology, economy development, socio-cultural empowering, sustainable implementation, nature conservation and positive image addition of Indonesia NTFP.

The activities as follow are strategies steps including exertion of NTFP research, development and utilization in Indonesia:

1. Identification of various NTFP local specific that have commercial value recent and tomorrow

• a. Inventory includes: diversity, species, distribution, stock and population condition in nature;
• b. NTFP excellent local specific;
• c. NTFP development tomorrow.

2. Increasing of NTFP sources productivity by effective and efficiency technology

• a. Cultivation (seedling selection, planting, rearing, collecting and processing);
• b. Productivity measuring;
• c. Utilization/processing efficiency;
• d. Productivity increasing way.

3. Quality upgrading of various NTFP by technology

• a. Isolating technique;
• b. Collecting technology;
• c. Handling technology after collecting;
• d. Product standardization and certification.

4. Utilization increasing and processing product diversification become finished product and functions

• a. Primary product: fruit, seed, root/tuber, sap, bark, leaf, resin, fresh rattan and bamboo, honey, egg, wild animal, etc;
• b. Finished/Intermediate product: food and drink, medicine, pesticide, tanner, etc;
• c. Functions: livelihood, plant and animal habitat, natural demarcation, cultural identity, land and water conservation, recreation, etc.

5. Study on socio-economy aspect, institutional and rule of NTFP

• a. Study on NTFP stakeholder: private, government, international community;
• b. Study on funding scheme and institutional management: full capital, full employee, state or foreign capital, private capital or cooperation;
• c. Market diversification (domestic/export), cut of monopoly and NTFP export limiting;
• d. Accurate data and information overview about supply and demand.

V. CONCLUSION

Environmental issues that focusing to land forest degradation have been enough as nightmare consequence of a wood based management. Utilization efficiency of forest biomass by NTFP optimal utilization directed to sustainable yield with pay attention to conservation aspects. This is an implementation of resource-based management. However, NTFP utilization must refer to strategy of research, development and utilization consistently, cover inventory, productivity, quality, diversification, and socio-economic (community empowering, rules, socio-economic diversification) aspects.

REFERENCES

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¹ Forest Products Technology Research and Development Center
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