Synergy Development of “State-Representative Apparatus” in Accelerating Social Forestry Policy Outcomes in Ngawi Regency, East Java

Social forestry is a new approach to solving problems around forests, such as poverty, social inequality, and massive deforestation. Indonesia’s new social forestry policy has given local communities greater rights and legal certainty regarding their involvement in forest management. However, local communities cannot stand alone in their implementation but must collaborate with other relevant stakeholders. A qualitative descriptive approach is used in this paper to capture efforts to build synergies between stakeholders in forest management and empowerment of forest communities in Ngawi Regency and identify opportunities and challenges afterward. The results of our analysis found that the signing of the MoU can be the first step to accelerate the achievement of social forestry policy outcomes. The dichotomy between “forest” and “social” affairs is increasingly visible in the division of tasks of each stakeholder involved. There is a need for clear legal rules regarding the roles and limits of allowable intervention for Regency governments. In addition, an urgent issue that needs to be addressed is the acceleration of capacity building and the capability of local communities, which are identified as essential factors in the success of social forestry policies.

Is It Possible to Produce Certified Hazelnut Plant Material in Sicily? Identification and Recovery of Nebrodi Genetic Resources, in vitro Establishment, and Innovative Sanitation Technique From Apple Mosaic Virus

Eight Sicilian cultivars of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.), namely-Curcia, Nociara Collica, Panottara Collica, Panottara Galati Grande, Parrinara, Panottara Baratta Piccola, Enzo, and Rossa Galvagno, registered into the Italian Cultivar Register of fruit tree species in 2017 were selected from Nebrodi area and established in vitro. The aim of the work was to carry out the sanitation of the cultivars and get virus-free plants from the most important viral pathogen threat, the apple mosaic virus. Virus-free plant material is essential for the production of certified plants from Sicilian hazelnut cultivars, complying the CE (cat. CAC) quality and the technical standards established in 2017 for voluntary certification by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF). In this study, we investigated the possibility of establishing in vitro true-to-type and virus-free hazelnut plantlets via the encapsulation technology of apexes. The in vitro shoot proliferation rates were assessed for the different cultivars, sampling periods, temperature treatments, and type of explant used for culture initiation. Viability, regrowth, and conversion rates of both conventional meristem tip culture (MTC) and not conventional (MTC combined with the encapsulation technology) sanitation techniques were evaluated.

Implementation of Forest Conservation Policies based on Local Wisdom of the Ammatoa Kajang Indigenous Community

The Ammatoa Kajang indigenous community maintain cultural authenticity from generation to generation, especially in protecting and preserving customary forests from the threat of damage. This research aims to describe the implementation of forest conservation policies based on local wisdom of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous community. The research method uses a literature/library study approach. Reference documents from 2001-2021. Data analysis methods with data minimization, data visualization, data analysis, and data validation and concluding. The results of the research showed that the Kajang orthodox community in day-to-day forest management is guided by the Pasang ri Kajang, which contains rules, implementation and sanctions for all forms of forest utilization and management, monitoring tools and control over all activities related to forestry, positively correlated with forestry policies governance. The concept of customary forest management is to divide the forest into three areas with certain specifications and rules as well as prohibited from destroying flora and fauna. In the end, the forest is sustainable and indigenous community behave sustainably; it can be concluded that the implementation of forest conservation policies based on local wisdom of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous community is going well.

A better understanding of gender mainstreaming in environmental policies

Public policies are made to solve public problems. A problem can be said to be a public problem if reality and expectations are different. Women and men have the opportunity to participate in gender equitable development. One of the key components for the successful implementation of gender mainstreaming is the formulation of gender-responsive policies, namely policies that are able to respond to differences in experiences, aspirations and needs between women and men. This article discusses the importance of gender mainstreaming policies and innovations carried out by the Secretary General as a driver institution for gender mainstreaming, realizing gender equality and justice within the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF). It is a descriptive qualitative research with respondents from Policy Makers in the Secretary General of MoEF with purposive sampling. The data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using a systematic literature review (SLR) model. A gender policy through the Regulation of the MoEF, the innovations carried out by driver institution. Conclusion of this article is gender mainstreaming policies are important for incorporated into the MoEF’s environmental and forestry policies.

From European forestry strategies to implementing local policies: a study on public forest workers in the Tuscany region of Italy

Even though forests represent almost half of the EU territory, the implementation of forestry strategies is delegated to local government institutions. This study proposes an overview of the main European forestry strategies, national (Italian) guidelines and local implementation instruments (in Tuscany). This approach made it possible to identify the actual executors of forestry policies, i.e., the public forest workers. The paper provides a framework of the recent dynamics of regional forestry instruments, their effects on available financial resources and their technicaloperational consequences. Furthermore, Tuscan public forest worker profiles were defined through an online questionnaire. The results show that it is essential to activate constant monitoring of local actions in order to verify the effectiveness of superordinate forestry policies.

The MicroBioDiverSar Project: Exploring the Microbial Biodiversity in Ex Situ Collections of Sardinia

In the last decades, biodiversity preservation has gained growing attention and many strategies, laws and regulations have been enacted by governments with this purpose. The MicroBioDiverSar (MBDS) project, the first one regarding microbiological resources, funded by the Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (Mipaaf) through the Law 194/2015, was aimed at surveying, cataloguing, and managing the microbial resources and the related information of three Sardinian collections (Agris BNSS, Uniss, and Unica). While microorganisms were reordered and inventoried, a federated database, accessible via the web, was designed by the bioinformatician of Ospedale Policlinico San Martino of Genova, according to both international standards and laboratory needs. The resulting MBDS collection boasts a great richness of microbial resources. Indeed, over 21,000 isolates, belonging to over 200 species of bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi isolated from different matrices, mainly food, of animal and vegetable origin, collected in over 50 years, were included in the database. Currently, about 2000 isolates, belonging to 150 species, are available online for both the scientific community and agri-food producers. The huge work done allowed one to know the consistency and the composition of most of the patrimony of the Sardinian microbial collections. Furthermore, the MBDS database has been proposed as a model for other Italian collections that, as the MBDS partners, are part of the Joint Research UnitMIRRI-IT Italian collections network, with the aim of overcoming fragmentation, facing sustainability challenges, and improving the quality of the management of the collections.

Implementation of Social Forestry Policy: A Review of Community Access

The issuance of social forestry licence and the achievement of benefits to the community in the post-licensing stage are still obstacles and difficulties for the community which is demanding the community access. The research aims to analyze the access of the community of social forestry licence holders in the pre-licence and post-licensing stages through field studies in forest community of Beringin Jaya Lampung and people’s forest plantation of Hajran Jambi qualitatively. In the pre-licence stage, the two license holder communities have the same access to all members who will be involved, information, facilitator, and government authorities. In the post-licensing stage, Beringin Jaya community has higher access to all members, facilitator, information, knowledge, government authorities, capital, technology, programs/activities of agencies and local markets, compared to Hajran community. Access to these matters is carried out by the community and facilitated by facilitator by linking the community to those who control these matters –which are not adequately provided by social forestry policies– through processes, mechanisms and social relationships. Successful facilitation of access requires networked capacity among community members and networking with other parties outside the community. The high level of access and networking capacity of community to obtain benefits from the implementation of social forestry policies must be supported by the suitability of subject-objects in granting licence at the pre-licence stage and the availability of supporting infrastructure.

Verso la nuova Direzione generale economia montana e foreste: il percorso e le nuove sfide

The former “Direzione generale foreste”, established in 2017 under the scope of theMinistry of Agricultural, food and forestry policies is about to become “Direzione generaleeconomia montana e foreste”. With this transformation, new important duties dedicated to themountain ecosystem are about to unfold. As this moment comes, we take the opportunity tolook back at the activities of the Direzione generale foreste, how these developed and the firstresults achieved. Most importantly, though, we address those results that are lying ahead of usand still need our best efforts. Those goals need to be analysed bearing in mind the focal pointsemerged in the report of the IV Italian National Congress of Silviculture (Turin, November2018). The new National Forestry Strategy along with other initiatives will be a turning point forthis sector. Sustainable forest management and careful planning will ensure higher biodiversityin our forests, contribute to the national natural capital along with the economic developmentof mountain and rural areas, where there is the majority of Italian forests.

Strategies for the Management of Traditional Chestnut Landscapes in Pesio Valley, Italy: A Participatory Approach

Through an exploratory case study conducted in the Pesio Valley, northwest Italy, this paper proposes a framework for maintaining traditional chestnut production landscapes and addressing future development policies. The main goal was to understand how to promote a bottom-up planning approach, including stakeholder perceptions in traditional chestnut landscape management. To ensure the sustainability of the landscape, current driving forces and their landscape effects were identified by local stakeholders using a focus group technique. Population ageing, local forestry policies directed towards supporting chestnut growers’ income, social and economic needs, and land fragmentation are the main driving forces that will influence future chestnut landscapes. The focus group participants built two scenarios of possible future development of the chestnut landscape, one characterized by the disappearance and transformation of chestnut stands, the other by their permanence and maintenance. The most recommended strategies for maintaining traditional chestnut cultivation were chestnut processing, fruit designation of origin, and the cultivation of traditional varieties. This study shows that, to preserve the traditional chestnut landscape, the participation of multiple stakeholders is a useful approach in landscape planning. This methodology could guide decision-makers and planners who desire to implement a participatory approach to a sustainable development program for traditional chestnut landscapes.