Women in Indonesia’s Penyandingan Village protect customary forests and advance empowerment through banana-based livelihoods.
More than just a global celebration, World Banana Day highlights how Southeast Asia was a pioneer in turning bananas into a tool for innovation and empowerment. In the Philippines, the banana serves as a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness, famously exemplified by Maria Orosa’s wartime invention of banana ketchup.
This cultural and developmental significance extends far beyond Philippine shores, echoing deeply in Indonesia’s Penyandingan Village, in Sumatra. Here, the banana is more than a staple food; it is a catalyst for social transformation. By cultivating banana-based livelihoods, local women are advancing empowerment while protecting customary forests—reinforcing the fruit's vital role in both ecological stewardship and social progress. Indonesia’s community-led models are turning the humble fruit into a powerful engine for food security, women’s empowerment, and environmental stewardship across Southeast Asia.
The Ghimbe Pramunan Customary Forest and the Semende Heritage
The Ghimbe Pramunan Customary Forest is a protected place, with conservation efforts largely driven by women. Among them is Mrs. Anita Tasriah (46) of Penyandingan Village, who actively organizes local women to safeguard the forest. Drawing on its importance as a daily source of food and livelihood, Anita has become a pivotal figure linking traditional indigenous knowledge with collective female action for environmental sustainability.
The forest spans 43.7 hectares and is vital to the community, rich in rivers, waterfalls, and indigenous trees such as benzoin (menyan), medang (Phoebe grandis), and coffee, as well as resources like rattan, bamboo, and wild bananas. Its preservation is upheld by the Semende customary system of tunggu tubang, which entrusts the eldest child with the responsibility of protecting the inherited family wealth and preventing over-exploitation.
“This forest has been guarded by our ancestors since long ago. There are boundaries, there are rules. It must not be damaged,” says Anita Tasriah, who is also the Chairperson of the Anak Belai Women’s Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) and Secretary of the Ghimbe Pramunan Customary Forest Management Institution (LPHA).
Vigilance Against Environmental Threats
Awareness of forest conservation in the area was built through experience, as illegal logging has often encroached on customary lands around Penyandingan Village, leading to issues such as landslides and fallen trees during the rainy season. In response, the LPHA Ghimbe Pramunan was formed as a pillar for sustainable forest management, comprising 39 members organized into two business groups: KUPS Perempuan Anak Belai (Women’s Group) and KUPS Puyang Sure Aek Ghibe (General Resource Group). A strong emphasis is placed on women’s leadership in forest monitoring, including documenting physical changes to trails and assessing the availability of bamboo, rattan, and banana plants.
“When heavy rain falls, and the river suddenly turns murky, it is a sign that there is trouble upstream. Usually, the women are the first to notice,” Anita explains. Findings from these monitoring activities are discussed in monthly meetings to guide preventative actions and enforce customary sanctions, which have been further strengthened following formal recognition by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, including strict sanctions for illegal tree falling.
From Simple Kitchens to Value-Added Innovation: KUPS Innovation and PINUS Stewardship
In 2023, forest protection expanded into an economic endeavor through the formation of the KUPS Perempuan Anak Belai. The group consists primarily of 24 housewives and 10 elderly women skilled in food processing and bamboo weaving.
Under LPHA guidance, bananas were selected as a key agroforestry commodity and integrated into conservation plots as a sustainable income source that does not harm the forest.
As Anita recalls, "Initially, we made banana chips only for our own needs or to serve village guests. The process was very simple, using traditional knives we call kuduk.” Early production was basic and informal, lacking standardized packaging and proper processing techniques. The birth of the Love Bana brand marked a significant shift, improving product quality and production efficiency with support from PINUS South Sumatra, a civil society organization focused on community-based natural resource management, while preserving traditional tools such as the kuduk and anak belati as part of its cultural identity.
As Yunita Sari of PINUS South Sumatra explains, “We do not just help residents make a finished product; we accompany the process so that women gain confidence, hold positions in decision-making, and ensure their businesses are sustainable.”
Restorative Economy Impact and National Recognition
The economic benefits are already being felt. KUPS Anak Belai has recorded a 4% increase in local community income, providing supplementary income for 24 women involved in production, packaging, and marketing. At the same time, the group has planted approximately 100 banana trees across a 1-hectare agroforestry plot. supporting both environmental restoration and a sustainable raw material source. This showcases how KUPS Anak Belai implements a restorative economy approach through environmental stewardship, generating real impact on the welfare of the communities.
Beyond local impacts, Anita has emerged as a recognized voice in environmental and community development forums, including the 2025 International Regional Science Association Conference and national workshops following COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. She emphasizes, “I want to see more village women become confident, earn an income, and remain active guardians of the forest. If the forest is destroyed, we lose everything.”
