Field Dialogue on Tree Plantations in the Landscape in Indonesia

The Forests Dialogue (TFD) launched the Tree Plantations in the Landscape (TPL) Initiative in September 2015, to explore the evolving state of issues related to tree plantations and planted forests within the larger landscape context through engaging key stakeholder groups at the international and local levels. Tree plantations currently provide roughly 35% of the world’s industrial wood supply and are expanding to meet increasing global demand for timber, fiber, and fuel products. They also have great potential to deliver environmental services and social benefits, such as combating climate change, restoring ecosystems, and creating jobs and improving livelihoods. However, many aspects of tree plantations have been and remain controversial, with concerns that associated environmental and social costs often diminish economic and other benefits.

The TPL Initiative builds on TFD’s Intensively Managed Planted Forests (IMPF) Initiative (2005-2008), revisiting specific issues and locations to understand how practices have evolved and what new challenges have emerged. We revisited the location of the 2007 IMPF dialogue in Pekanbaru, Indonesia with the following objectives: 

1. Consider the design and implementation of plantation forests in the context of jurisdictional and landscape approaches; 
2. Review approaches to enable good governance and inclusive development and understand the potential of plantation forests to contribute to the global development agenda;
3. Identify key externalities associated with the development and management of plantation forests; 
4. Learn about and encourage adoption of new practical solutions to specific contextual challenges (ie, peatland management, land tenure and dispute resolution, social forestry, restoration etc.);
5. Explore the diversification of the forms and species composition of plantation forests; the sustainability of plantation forestry systems; and access to and use of new technologies.

This multi-stakeholder dialogue convened Indonesian and international experts, stakeholders, and rights holders in plenary and small working-group formats. It includes field visits to hear directly from local participants about social and environmental challenges and learn from practices on the ground. The dialogue was developed in collaboration with the TPL Initiative Advisory Group including Forest Peoples Program and dialogue co-hosts World Wildlife Fund-Indonesia, APRIL, RECOFTC, and Bahtera Alam.