Celebrating Business Meeting Day and Farmers Field Day: Efforts to maintain climate resilience in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan Province
Indonesia - 12 February, 2022
Ketapang, Thursday, February 10, 2022 - In an effort to stimulate the development of climate-friendly community’s businesses in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan Province, Tropenbos Indonesia has organized a series of KURRI (climate friendly and community-based business competition) activities. Since February 2021, starting from the pre-selection and training stage of making a business plan, in the final stages of this competition managed to net 5 businesses in two sub-districts namely Simpang Dua Subdistrict and Matan Hilir Selatan district as a finalist with business sector includes horticultural agriculture, mushroom cultivation, and woven. The finalists have been provided with technical assistance during July-December 2021 to implement business plans, provide technical and equipment support, and build relationships with parties who can help smooth business including financial institutions and related agencies. During the mentoring process, the finalists were also introduced to wider market access and introduction to potential sources of business financing.
Furthermore, initiatives to prevent the pace of climate change have also been carried out by the implementation of the Farmer's Field School for rubber agroforestry and oil-palm oil crops to enhance more productive and adaptive of land management while maintaining the principles of sustainable natural resource governance. Through the Field School, farmers in 6 village, i.e. Sungai Pelang and Sungai Besar Villages of Simpang Dua Sub-district and Gema, Mekar Raya, Kamora and Batu Daya Villages of Matan Hilir Selatan Sub-district learned and practices on the making of bio-starter, organic fertilizers and organic pesticides to reach permanent agriculture without burning. Farmers also learn the principles of good agricultural cultivation that are not only useful for increasing the productivity of agricultural products, but also more environmentally friendly.
As the culmination of KURRI and Farmer Field School facilitation programs, Tropenbos Indonesia together with the Community and Village Government Empowerment Agency (PMD) held a Business Meeting Day and Farmers Field Day in Ketapang Town Hall on Thursday, February 10, 2022. In this activity, the announcement of KURRI winners as well as the submission of field school certificates continued with dialogue with stakeholders.
The event from the beginning to the end (9.00 – 13.00) was well attended by the Regent of Ketapang, Martin Rantan, SH., M.Sos, the Heads of relevant government agencies, private sector representatives, financial institutions, KURRI participants, and farmers champions. Farmers and local businesses have their products displayed so local government and potential investors can see the process and the progress in the last several months throughout KURRI facilitation phase and Farmers Field School implementation. During the event, intensive dialogue has occurred between participants and the local government as well as financial institutions to share, learn, and replicate best practices of Farmers Field School and the improvement of the next cycle of KURRI implementation, this year and in the coming years.
Director Tropenbos Indonesia Dr. Edi Purwanto stated, "We hope that the efforts we make through KURRI and Farmers Field School can inspire the emergence of local movements for adaptive community efforts against the threat of climate changes, not only in the agricultural sector but also MSMEs to the whole of Ketapang District".
Dr. Edi Purwanto also stressed the importance of supporting the parties to scale up the scale of climate-friendly community efforts. "Currently financing for community businesses is still not optimal, both from public and private sources. It is appropriate for local governments and financial institutions to start paying more attention to efforts at the local level to ensure the livelihood of the community while ensuring the sustainability of natural resources."