PSLB INSTIPER AND PACITAN REGENCY EXPLORE PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE COCOA LANDSCAPE
Yogyakarta, 30 July 2026 – The Center for Sustainable Landscape Science (PSLB) at INSTIPER welcomed a delegation from the Government of Pacitan Regency, comprising representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Food Security and members of the Bumi Mina Jaya Farmers Association (Gapoktan) from Punung District. The visit marked the beginning of a strategic dialogue to explore collaboration in developing a sustainable cocoa landscape in Pacitan and to jointly prepare funding proposals for strengthening cocoa development hubs across the entire cocoa value chain. The PSLB delegation was led by its Director together with several researchers and technical associates.
During the meeting, the Pacitan delegation highlighted cocoa as one of the Regency Government’s priority commodities for agricultural development. The local government is currently implementing a cocoa rehabilitation program to improve productivity and strengthen farmers’ livelihoods. Pacitan’s cocoa landscape covers approximately 5,658.5 hectares of harvested area, producing around 408.78 tonnes of dry cocoa beans annually. Cocoa production is dominated by smallholder farmers, while marketing is still largely based on the sale of unfermented dry cocoa beans. Cocoa cultivation is concentrated in several districts, including Arjosari, Tegalombo, Nawangan, Bandar, Tulakan, Kebonagung, and Punung. These conditions underline the importance of strengthening farmers’ capacities, farmer organizations, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to unlock the full potential of the cocoa sector.
Representatives of the Bumi Mina Jaya Farmers Association shared their experiences in developing cocoa farming in Punung District, describing the journey from the early introduction of cocoa cultivation to the establishment of farmer-managed cocoa enterprises that now contribute meaningfully to household incomes and local economic development. Their experience demonstrates how strong farmer institutions and continuous technical support can transform cocoa into a sustainable source of rural livelihoods.
PSLB INSTIPER presented its experience and expertise in promoting Smart Cocoa Agroforestry, an integrated landscape approach that combines sustainable cocoa production, environmental conservation, institutional strengthening, business development, and community empowerment. PSLB also introduced its portfolio of technical services, including training on cocoa cultivation and post-harvest management, agroforestry practices, business and financial management, and capacity-building programs designed to strengthen the cocoa value chain from production to market.
The meeting resulted in a shared understanding of several strategic areas for future collaboration. PSLB INSTIPER will support the Government of Pacitan Regency in designing and establishing the Pacitan Cocoa Development Center, supported by a network of Cocoa Hubs located in major cocoa-producing districts. PSLB will also assist in developing the institutional and business models for the hubs, preparing comprehensive business plans, refining cocoa downstream development proposals for submission to the Indonesian Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP), providing technical assistance during implementation, and delivering competency-based training programs for farmers, cooperatives, and other cocoa value chain actors.
As follow-up actions, both parties agreed to organize a series of technical discussions, conduct field visits to Pacitan to formulate implementation strategies, and explore innovative cocoa-based enterprises that can be integrated with the Regency’s ecotourism development initiatives. In the longer term, the collaboration aims to establish the Pacitan Cocoa Landscape Enterprise—an integrated landscape-based cocoa development model that connects sustainable production, post-harvest management, processing, farmer institutions, investment, innovation, and market development within a single collaborative ecosystem. The initiative is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Pacitan’s cocoa sector while generating greater value for farmers, local communities, and the regional economy.