Fodder Crop Integration in Forest Management as a Strategy for Strengthening Community Livelihoods and ESG Alignment

Community forest management through agroforestry-based cooperatives plays a vital role in advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. This capstone project, a collaboration between the Research Team from Universitas Gadjah Mada and PT Kutai Timber Indonesia, explored how community forest cooperatives can enhance productivity within the Bromo Mandiri Cooperative in Ngepung Village, Sukapura, Probolinggo. The project proposed integrating biopharmaceutical plants and dwarf elephant grass for animal feed into the agroforestry system, offering potential environmental, social, and economic benefits. Using a participatory approach and principles of sustainable governance, the cooperative can improve farmer welfare, protect ecosystems, and build a more efficient production system. The findings demonstrate that ESG principles can be effectively integrated into cooperative strategies to promote food security and ecological sustainability.