On September 24, 2025, 15 tons of community-grown nutmeg, commodities from customary and social forests, were released to the Chinese market via Surabaya from Ambon Port, Maluku. This export serves as concrete proof of the role Indigenous communities play in safeguarding forests while improving the livelihoods of local farmers. In addition to nutmeg, 30 tons of damar resin from Maluku’s social forestry areas were shipped to India, with both commodities valued at approximately USD 125,000.
The send-off ceremony was attended by the Vice Minister of Forestry, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Forestry, the Director General of Social Forestry, the Governor of Maluku, and the Director of KOBUMI. Through strategic collaboration between the government, the EcoNusa Foundation, and KOBUMI, this milestone demonstrates that forest management by Indigenous communities can be both sustainable and productive.
Text: Dea Refika Nita | Photos: Ika
