Bali. Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, clarified that the government has no plans to engage in deforestation or convert 20.6 million hectares of forest into food and energy plantations.

Raja Juli explained that the government intends to adopt intercropping patterns that preserve forests while optimizing their functions.

“The concept is that these 20.6 million hectares will remain forested areas—untouched, undamaged, and not deforested. Instead, their functions will be maximized,” he said during a press conference in Bali on Thursday.

The approach, according to Raja Juli, involves agroforestry—a system where large trees such as teak or sengon are planted alongside food crops like rice or corn. This method ensures forests are preserved, ecosystem functions are maintained, and food production is increased.

“This is done through intercropping. For instance, teak or sengon can be planted while upland rice or corn grows underneath,” he explained.

The government has identified 20.6 million hectares of forest land with potential for agroforestry. Initially categorized as food and water reserve forests, these areas can support both food and energy crop production while maintaining forest functions.

Raja Juli said this initiative aims to achieve food self-sufficiency. For example, planting rice on 1 million hectares of forest land could yield 3.5 million tons of rice annually—equivalent to Indonesia’s rice imports in 2023.

“We’ve calculated with the Agriculture Ministry that our 2023 rice imports totaled 3.5 million tons. By intercropping in forest areas, 1 hectare could produce 3.5 tons of rice. This would eliminate the need for imports,” he said.

He added that this strategy would enable Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency while preserving forests and minimizing deforestation.

“To be clear, we are not opening or clearing forests. These are existing forested areas where we’ll plant dense trees again, and beneath them, food crops that benefit the people. The logic is that food reserve forests will actually reduce deforestation,” Raja Juli explained.

The identified forest areas span across Indonesia, with the first planting phase scheduled to begin on 50 hectares of land on January 22.

The government has prioritized food self-sufficiency as a pillar of national sovereignty, as outlined in the 2025-2029 National Development Agenda. President Prabowo emphasized that food self-sufficiency is essential for ensuring the well-being and security of the population.

Beyond rice, the government also plans to plant sugar palm trees as a source of bioethanol. According to Raja Juli, one hectare of the trees can produce 24,000 kiloliters of bioethanol. Planting 1.5 million hectares could yield 24 million kiloliters of bioethanol, potentially replacing the 26 million kiloliters of fuel imports.