Gunung Walat, Sukabumi – Fieldtrip by Japanese student from Niigata University, Japan has been conducted on 31 October 2012 in GWUF.
This fieldtrip was followed by 4 students from Niigata University, Japan, accompanied by one Japanese associate professor.
The fieldtrip was initiated with presentation on GWUF explaining the practice of forest management in GWUF which serves as model of successful small scale forest management . The presentation was given by GWUF Director for business development, Dr. Nandi Kosmaryandi.
This fieldtrip was also accompanied by Dr. Setyo Pertiwi, a senior lecturer from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Faculty of Agricultural Technology; and 4 students of IPB.
“This field trip was conducted for Good Practice Agriculture Program, which is internationalization of agriculture education with the concept of sustainable development“, said Dr. Setyo Pertiwi.
In the previous occasion, Indonesian students were also invited to Niigata, Japan, for exchange experience which included presentation and visit to various facilities ranging from ordinary farm land, prosessing facilities, forestry areas and animal husbandry.
This field trip to Gunung Walat University Forest (GWUF) was emphasized on the subject of agroforestry being practiced in GWUF.
The field trip agenda comprised among others observation and study on utilization of pine and agathis resin, storage of the products, economic value and the social value of the practice, because the resin tapper are villagers residing around GWUF. The field trip also discussed innovation from research results for increasing resin production.
The field trip participants also inspected the agroforestry sites which were managed by people around GWUF, comprising the commodities cardamom, coffee, banana, pineapple, etc.
The participants also observed the sites of tree planting which constituted the cooperation between GWUF and several companies, within a scheme called “voluntary carbon trading”. There were at least 4 international companies being involved in this scheme, namely Conoco Phillips Indonesia, TOSO Industry Indonesia, TOSO Company Limited Japan, and NYK Group Japan.
“They want to study the various agricultural practices in subtropical and tropical countries. They are glad to have experience in tropical forest which is good and well managed as in this GWUF”, said Dr. Setyo Pertiwi.
“This forest is a good example for conversion of land which in the past was in the form of barren alang alang land, into a very dense and good forest, so that there is no reason for Indonesia to have damaged forests, as long as we are serious in handling those forests”, added Dr. Setyo Pertiwi.
[hap]
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