Revitalization of forest area through community-based coffee agribusiness development: A case in Batu City

The slopes of Mount Arjuno in Batu City have experienced significant land degradation due to the conversion of forest to vegetable farming. The practice of seasonal farming causes a decrease in groundwater absorption, increased risk of erosion and flooding, and decreased soil quality. To respond to these problems, State University of Malang together with BUMDESMA Giri Arjuna initiated a coffee agribusiness development program as a community-based solution oriented towards environmental conservation and improving local economic welfare. This research explores the results of community service conducted with a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and business partnership approach. The results show that coffee cultivation is able to increase production from 4 tons to 8 tons per year, encourage economic added value through product diversification, strengthen village institutional capacity, and accelerate environmental conservation efforts. It recommends this collaborative model as a replication strategy for the revitalization of other degraded forest areas, in order to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) point 15: Life on Land.