Presented by Ripan of the Kostajasa Cooperative at the 3rd Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit, on 23–25 April 2018 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

1. KOSTAJASA COOPERATIVE
KEBUMEN
CENTRAL JAVA
RIPAN

2. name is Ripan, and I am from the Wonoharjo village, in the
rict of Kebumen, Central Java. Here, the majority of residents
wed their ancestors in becoming timber farmers, with each plot
ng approximately 100 ubin, or 1,400 m2.

3. nteractions with Kostajasa started with me taking my parents, who were
ng the founders and core members. As I often attended Kostajasa events,
came more familiar with their program, which included FSC certification. I
y joined because I was interested in knowing more about managing the
er business, primarily with regard to legality and traceability systems.
CE was not the main appeal.

4. re Kostajasa became involved in small-holder management, farmers did
have a grasp of how the market included prices, and the timber
and standards of factories. They felled trees based on need. They did
understand the system for small-holder forest administration. These
ded simple practices for environmental management, such as planting
s/bracing along riverbanks, near cemeteries, and the like.

5. 006, TFT conducted a survey in our village and assisted with the
blishment of KOSTAJASA in 2007, involving several farmers groups and
owners.

6. initial activity of the cooperative was the dissemination of
rmation on small-holder forest management:
Mapping Potential
xplaining Market Conditions
eveloping a Log Tracking System

7. ever, the most significant improvement was that KOSTAJASA changed
model for timber sales at the farmer level. It shifted from a per tree basis
ne that was based on the sort and quality of wood. KOSTAJASA
tated/raised farmer profits by selling directly to retailers/factories.

8. STAJASA currently has 231 members from 27 farmer groups. Members of
perative are entitled to receive SHU (business profits) because they have
mbership fees.

9. activities such as forest management training, logging, or making
zer, however, Kostajasa is open for participation from any member of
27 farmer groups, which total thousands of individuals. Currently, I am
onsible for production and tracking logs at KOSTAJASA.

10. n interacting directly with the market, we have received requests, usually
non-Indonesian markets, for timber that is FSC certified. Then, TFT
ided assistance for obtaining FSC certification in the form of capacity
ing activities for staff and members (land owners) with hands-on practice.

11. lly, in 2009, we obtained FSC certification. The benefits of having FSC
fication is various improvements related to environmental management,
as monitoring water sources, cultural sites, and erosion. Although the
munity understands environmental preservation, monitoring is useful as a
nder.

12. nomically, certification has not affected public welfare. The margin received
the sale of certified timber is used to develop farmer groups and the
perative. So is certification still needed? My answer is yes. We still need
fication to achieve the margin that the cooperative uses to build the
acity of the community through training. It is also necessary for marketing
ell as seeking out direct markets with factories.

13. MU
GULA SEMUT
CARDAM
At one of the annual meetings
(RAT), members voiced their
aspiration for KOSTAJASA to
also market products other than
timber.

14. I am in support of this because timber sales that I ha
mentioned require a long time before the community c
feel its impact and reap the rewards. The period betwe
planting and felling trees spans several years. With n
timber products, KOSTAJASA is able to provide a grea
contribution to raising public welfare from the sales
product and faster capital turnover or velocity of money.

15. or example, the sale of coconut sugar is able
generate daily income for people in the
ommunity. KOSTAJASA does not seek a
rge margin for coconut sugar as it works
olely towards improving the welfare of
embers. The members producing coconut
ugar are also not expecting high prices,
stead hoping for stability in sales and prices.

16. oconut sugar has now been certified as
RT (Household Food Industry) and
alal, yet remains limited in terms of
arketing. We are currently working hard
gain a greater market share so as to
able to develop many other villages
at produce coconut sugar.

17. We are extremely appreciative of the funding assistance provided by
RAFT over the past 2 years, especially for re-certification. We now feel
capable of undergoing the certification process. Moving forward, the field
where we still require assistance is business development, particularly
with regard to product diversification or processing.

18. In the past, we sold trees, and then assortments of timber; in the future, we
are ready to not sell just logs, but boards or sawn timber. We are very open
and look forward to invitations from various for further discussion, including
from the government, TFT, and donors engaged in the field of small-holder
private forests. It is no longer about forest management alone.